Underdog status may work to advantage of Gilas
MANILA (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - The Philippines boast a FIBA World Ranking of No. 28. The national team is in the midst of an impressive three-year run that has seen it finish second at
MANILA (2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) - The Philippines boast a FIBA World Ranking of No. 28. The national team is in the midst of an impressive three-year run that has seen it finish second at the past two FIBA Asia Championships and also compete at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
What the country's hoops team, Gilas Pilipinas, will also be this July, despite serving as the host nation for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Manila, is the underdog. For the coach of the Filipinos, Tab Baldwin, that is A-okay.
There's no question, we're the underdogs. But there's nothing wrong with being an underdog. It's not a bad place to be. - Baldwin
Should Gilas really be considered the underdog? They will play in Group B against France and New Zealand, who are No. 5 and No. 21 in the rankings, respectively. Group A consists of Turkey (No. 8), Senegal (No. 31) and Canada (No. 26). The winner of Group A will meet the second-place team from Group B in one Semi-Final and the side that is top of Group B will go up against the second-place team in Group A in the other semi. The winners of the Semi-Finals will then square off with a spot in the Olympics at stake.
"I think our players want to show them that we are equal and as a team, we are a better team," Baldwin said to GMA News Online. "That's what we're all hoping for."
The French, a national team program that won EuroBasket 2013, finished third at the FIBA Basketball World Cup and also third at last year's EuroBasket, have one of the most talented and experienced teams in the international game. Les Bleus, whose coach Vincent Collet has been at the helm since 2009, are the favorites to top Group B and win the OQT.
The Philippines (PHI) will encounter the giant presence of Rudy Gobert (FRA) in Manila
New Zealand, as they demonstrated at the FIBA Basketball World Cup by almost reaching the Quarter-Finals, are extremely awkward to play against. Baldwin knows that only too well because he coached the Tall Blacks for several years, famously steering them to the Semi-Finals of the 2002 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Indianapolis.
Current New Zealand head coach Paul Henare, his assistant Pero Cameroon and national team veterans Kirk Penney and Mika Vukona were in the Kiwi squad that Baldwin coached at the 2006 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Japan.
Mika Vukona (NZL) will face his former coach Tab Baldwin
But the Philippines also revealed themselves to be extremely tough two years ago in Spain. Coached by Chot Reyes, they pushed Croatia, Greece, Argentina and Puerto Rico hard for 40 minutes before beating Senegal in their last game.
Last year, Gilas had an outstanding FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha-Hunan with Baldwin at the helm and were only denied a spot on the top of the podium and at the Olympics after falling to hosts China in the Final.
Asian teams have not had much success in major international tournaments. If France or New Zealand take Gilas lightly, though, they may be in for a rude awakening.
Psychologically, they might just think that we're not as tough as we really are because we are tough. If they make the mistake of doing that, it's going to give us one more opportunity, one more edge to win the game. - Baldwin
FIBA