Team Pilipinas Basketball

[robo_cop]

sabi na nga ba the PBA is not the way

[alphaqomega]

While it is with full sincerity that I take my hats off to you for being humble enough to admit you underestimated Gilas ... still it shows how FAST YOU CHANGE COLORS.

 

Sing ye PRAISE to the GILAS TEAM ... Mr MEGA BALIMBING

 

from the way you sing your praise, you'd think they just won the gold in the olympics

[djlo]

the exact opposite................................

[btljc]

Look at Enrico Villanueva and Rich Alvarez... hindi nagimprove.

 

I suggest, that the PBA open up their coaching positions to international coaches. Hindi Fil-Am players ang kelangan ng PBA but foreign coaches and trainers. Kahit three years lang.

[balotolab]

Maybe let time dictate the outcome :sleepysmiley03:

[game_boy]

the smart gilas team gives every pinoy basketball fan something to hope for and wake up each morning which we lost with the formation of a pro league some 34 years ago.

[tagalupa]

Nice game against POWERADE team...

[Eastpak]

Hahaha Can't believe this...Hindi maliit un ginawa ni JA na pede ulitin un draft kc makakaapekto to sa PBA...Hindi yun bsta basta ka aayaw pag nagbago isip mo...Malaki epekto un ginawa nya nde lang sa BK pati sa PBA..Hindi pede un katwiran na malas lang ng BK...

 

 

 

Based on PBA rules, a rookie who refused to sign with the team that drafted him will have to sit out the entire season.The player will be offered a new contract the following season but if he decides to turn it down again, the team has no choice but to release the player, making him available for the next PBA draft.

Eto yung pinanghahawakan ni JA na rule. Ang epekto lang sa PBA ia nawalan sila ng isang talented player that may bring in more gate receipts. Di naman inaalis sa BK ang rights nila for 2 years k JA eh.

[btljc]

if after two or three years, JA becomes a better player under Toroman's guidance, then it's worth it.

 

It may not be a good precedent, but hey, don't you think it's about time the PBA reorganize itself? It's like a fraternity there. The coaches are the same, the starters are practically the same. Yung mga kinuha nila sa MBA andudun pa din. Buti na lang nagretire na si Dennis Espino at Rob Wainwright. Arboleda over Jimmy Alapag? Dahil ba asawa ni Arboleda ang anak ni Bert Lina?

[btljc]

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Smart Choice

 

It's been more than a month since i last posted and so much has happened in so short a time. So many issues. We know of the Japeth, Marc Barocca and Jobe Nkemakolam issues. 2 out of 3 are current teammates in Gilas (although Japeth is unofficial) and 1 was a former Blue Eagle teammate. All of a sudden, Smart Gilas is back in the spotlight. After mutually agreeing that the Smart Gilas team will compete in the upcoming international competitions after the Powerade team's stint in Tianjin, now they want to review the by-laws of the SBP and push for another PBA-backed team. Then, a ban of Japeth to play in the PBA is the works. I'd rather not talk about these issues right now, but rather my experiences being part of the Smart Gilas team for more than half a year now.

 

We just completed a 2-day trip to Singapore to play against the Singapore Slingers composed of several American and Australian imports coupled with domestic players. We came out victorious by 3 points, could have been more if not for the lapses of the Singaporean referees. But that's always the case if you're playing a home team abroad. Surprisingly, there were more Filipinos than Singaporeans in the crowd. Thanks to al the Pinoys who came to support us!

 

It was a very short and tiring trip, but very fruitful indeed. Cj Giles, JV Casio, Mac Baracael, Jason Ballesteros, Magi Sison, Mark Barocca, Japeth Aguilar, Fil-Australians Sebastian Salinas and Matt Schmechtig, and myself made up the 10-man lineup. And guess who was assigned to be my roommate, the hottest man on the news Mark Barocca! We had a long and emotional chat. I was being very attentive and open-minded. I could feel his sincerity, disappointment and frustration. He was very open and candid, which made me realize that he was indeed a victim. I gave him a rosary and a St. Josemaria Escriva prayer card from my mom. He thanked me and he took out a St. Jude prayer booklet which he read before going to bed.

 

Going back to our trip, we arrived in Singapore on Tuesday around 3 in the afternoon. We arrived at our hotel around 330pm starving!! Because apparently you have to pay extra to be served lunch on the budget airline that we took (Oh, and also an additional $20 to be transferred to a bulkhead seat regardless if you're 5'0 or 6'10 like CJ and Japeth). We grabbed a quick bite and went straight to practice from 5 to 7pm. Mind you, it wasn't even a light practice. After dinner at a Chinese tea house, we were given the option to look around the city for a while with a curfew at 12. I stayed in because my body was shutting down. The following morning, we had breakfast all together as always at 9am. Then, at 12nn we went to the gym to shoot around and get familiar with the rim and the balls. Then back to the hotel for lunch and to rest. We left for the game at 6pm. The game lasted from 8 to 10pm. Thankfully we won and because it was CJ Giles' 24th birthday, we were allowed to check out the nightlife in Singapore but with a curfew because we had to leave for the airport at 4am. On our way home to the hotel, we were all getting anxious because if we were a minute late for curfew, we knew we were going to be in deep deep trouble! We made it on time, whew!

 

That's Coach Rajko Toroman for you. Discipline cannot be compromised. The Singapore trip, just like any other out of town trip, is no vacation. Every day, every hour is like clock work. Everybody eats together for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Like in Jakarta, you would see players from the other Asian countries coming in the dining hall one or two at a time, eating on their own. That's a no no for Coach T. There's no such thing as a day-off. If game time is still in the afternoon, there's always a shoot around session in the morning. Time for rest means no one leaves his hotel room. And if we have time to check out the city, we always go as a group. Reminds me of my college/high school team where everything is so disciplined and 'professional'. It may sound too rigid for some, but ironically, we have lots of fun traveling abroad as a team despite all that. I always look forward to out of town trips.

 

And that's what i love about this group. We're all about the same age and full of energy. Practices are always intense. Coach T himself is very intense in every single practice, more so during games. Sometimes we fear for his blood pressure. He is never ever late and there's no excuse for being late. He runs the drills himself while the assistant coaches support him, not the other way around like in many professional teams. He is extremely particular with the details and making the right decisions in every play offensively and defensively. He is a perfectionist.

 

I truly admire Coach T's dedication to the team, reminding me of my former coaches Norman and Sandy. When he took us to Serbia (his hometown) for 2 weeks of exhibition matches last April, he stayed with us in the hotel during our entire stay there despite his residence being just 10 minutes away. Even during our weights sessions, he would sit there for the entire 2 hours while we work out with our strength and conditioning coach. Some other coaches would probably use that time to take care of their other 'rackets'.

 

We are aware that there has been some resistance from the local basketball community regarding hiring a foreign coach to be the captain of the ship for the national team. Being under him for several months now, i have come to really appreciate the new system and tactical changes that he has introduced. For that and all the other things that i have mentioned earlier, i am truly grateful to be part of this experience, to be under his wing. I sincerely hope that more local coaches can humble themselves and try to learn this new European philosophy that Coach T has adopted rather than being so close-minded thinking that we already know it all. Maybe you're good enough locally, but outside is an entirely different competition. We always want to learn from the US style, but then again we must accept that we are not genetically gifted like them. This is a great opportunity for Philippine basketball to regain its rightful position in the international spectrum.

 

This is why i believe that i made the smart choice. Actually, i was more of lucky because i finished my collegiate career right at the perfect time while this new program is being developed. God just has His ways. If i had joined the PBA draft, i might have been disillusioned and my passion for the game might not be the same as it is right now. What better feeling it is to be playing the sport you love, traveling around the world, playing intensely with a special bunch of guys, and most importantly, playing for ONE goal - that is the Philippine flag. A goal that is not unique for the Gilas team, but one that is shared by the 90 million Filipinos all over the world.

 

Chris Tiu

 

P.S. Who can ever blame Japeth for making that same decision "to play for country"??

[kanto-terrorist]

the smart gilas team gives every pinoy basketball fan something to hope for and wake up each morning which we lost with the formation of a pro league some 34 years ago.

 

Ganda ng sinabi mo brod. right on target!!! :thumbsupsmiley: Thanks din kay btljc for sharing this article by chris tiu^^^ . At least, He was saved from being another "James Yap,- PBA glamour boy syndrome".

 

Sino sino pa ba ang mga possible na idagdag sa smart? Rabeh? pwede ba ung "import" ng Letran? Para magmukhang mixed chinese-arab-american ang national team natin? Wala bang mga Fil-Serbian, Fil-Lithuanina jan?

Edited October 8, 2009 by kanto-terrorist

[thegame08]

ganda ng laro ng Gilas... kagilas gilas nga... They play as if theyre in the Euro Basket tourney. Ang gaganda ng mga plays. Parang mas maganda pa nga kung sial na lang ang nilaban, pwedeng kahit 6th place man lang sa FIBA Asia.

 

Smart-Gilas relies heavily on their American reinforcement inside the shaded area and since they don't allowed reinforcement/import sa FIBA-Asia Smart-Gilas would have finish 10th or lower

 

 

Coach Toroman is the new Ron Jacobs!!!

 

Too early to tell, madaming accomplishments si Coach Ron Jacobs, si Toroman natalo lang ang isang unprepared na pro team. Tama ang sabi noong isang nag-post, parang nanalo na sa Olympics ang Smart-Gilas ni MVP.

 

 

the smart gilas team is for real..great passing, accurate shooting, great discipline at defense, eto lahat ang kakulangan ng powerade team pilipinas..but smart gilas needs additional big men to beef up their line-up, if they get quality power forwards and centers, this team can be great...

 

great games by mac barracael, aldrech ramos, chris tiu, cj giles, dylan ababou, jvee casio, jayson ballesteros, andy barroca, and japeth aguilar(i think everyone in their rotation had a great game hehehehe)..

 

hope both pinoy bball camps can unite to form a team that has the strengths of both teams so we can have the best national team possible

 

I hope they do.

 

 

Too early to sing hosannahs to this team, IMO. After all it's only ONE game and against an opponent with NO heart, NO passion and NO pride (typical PBA! :thumbsdownsmiley: ). But the flashes of potential are there and I believe we already have a solid foundation. Continuous training and more games against quality opponents will further hone this team.

 

Go Smart Gilas!

 

Huwag kayo masyado magdiwang, dahil hindi pa naman nila natalo ang mga powers sa Asia Powerade lang ang natalo nila dahil hindi ito prepared, tingin n'yo ba ganoon lagi ang ilalaro ng SG against much organzed teams like China, Iran, Sokor, Lebanon, etc who are much taller and heftier as compared to them and who also have big guys that are mobile and can also shoot well from the perimeter and the outside? Without their American reinforcement mahihirapan sila sa mga teams ng aforemetioned countries.

 

 

Thursday, September 24, 2009

The Smart Choice

 

It's been more than a month since i last posted and so much has happened in so short a time. So many issues. We know of the Japeth, Marc Barocca and Jobe Nkemakolam issues. 2 out of 3 are current teammates in Gilas (although Japeth is unofficial) and 1 was a former Blue Eagle teammate. All of a sudden, Smart Gilas is back in the spotlight. After mutually agreeing that the Smart Gilas team will compete in the upcoming international competitions after the Powerade team's stint in Tianjin, now they want to review the by-laws of the SBP and push for another PBA-backed team. Then, a ban of Japeth to play in the PBA is the works. I'd rather not talk about these issues right now, but rather my experiences being part of the Smart Gilas team for more than half a year now.

 

We just completed a 2-day trip to Singapore to play against the Singapore Slingers composed of several American and Australian imports coupled with domestic players. We came out victorious by 3 points, could have been more if not for the lapses of the Singaporean referees. But that's always the case if you're playing a home team abroad. Surprisingly, there were more Filipinos than Singaporeans in the crowd. Thanks to al the Pinoys who came to support us!

 

It was a very short and tiring trip, but very fruitful indeed. Cj Giles, JV Casio, Mac Baracael, Jason Ballesteros, Magi Sison, Mark Barocca, Japeth Aguilar, Fil-Australians Sebastian Salinas and Matt Schmechtig, and myself made up the 10-man lineup. And guess who was assigned to be my roommate, the hottest man on the news Mark Barocca! We had a long and emotional chat. I was being very attentive and open-minded. I could feel his sincerity, disappointment and frustration. He was very open and candid, which made me realize that he was indeed a victim. I gave him a rosary and a St. Josemaria Escriva prayer card from my mom. He thanked me and he took out a St. Jude prayer booklet which he read before going to bed.

 

Going back to our trip, we arrived in Singapore on Tuesday around 3 in the afternoon. We arrived at our hotel around 330pm starving!! Because apparently you have to pay extra to be served lunch on the budget airline that we took (Oh, and also an additional $20 to be transferred to a bulkhead seat regardless if you're 5'0 or 6'10 like CJ and Japeth). We grabbed a quick bite and went straight to practice from 5 to 7pm. Mind you, it wasn't even a light practice. After dinner at a Chinese tea house, we were given the option to look around the city for a while with a curfew at 12. I stayed in because my body was shutting down. The following morning, we had breakfast all together as always at 9am. Then, at 12nn we went to the gym to shoot around and get familiar with the rim and the balls. Then back to the hotel for lunch and to rest. We left for the game at 6pm. The game lasted from 8 to 10pm. Thankfully we won and because it was CJ Giles' 24th birthday, we were allowed to check out the nightlife in Singapore but with a curfew because we had to leave for the airport at 4am. On our way home to the hotel, we were all getting anxious because if we were a minute late for curfew, we knew we were going to be in deep deep trouble! We made it on time, whew!

 

That's Coach Rajko Toroman for you. Discipline cannot be compromised. The Singapore trip, just like any other out of town trip, is no vacation. Every day, every hour is like clock work. Everybody eats together for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Like in Jakarta, you would see players from the other Asian countries coming in the dining hall one or two at a time, eating on their own. That's a no no for Coach T. There's no such thing as a day-off. If game time is still in the afternoon, there's always a shoot around session in the morning. Time for rest means no one leaves his hotel room. And if we have time to check out the city, we always go as a group. Reminds me of my college/high school team where everything is so disciplined and 'professional'. It may sound too rigid for some, but ironically, we have lots of fun traveling abroad as a team despite all that. I always look forward to out of town trips.

 

And that's what i love about this group. We're all about the same age and full of energy. Practices are always intense. Coach T himself is very intense in every single practice, more so during games. Sometimes we fear for his blood pressure. He is never ever late and there's no excuse for being late. He runs the drills himself while the assistant coaches support him, not the other way around like in many professional teams. He is extremely particular with the details and making the right decisions in every play offensively and defensively. He is a perfectionist.

 

I truly admire Coach T's dedication to the team, reminding me of my former coaches Norman and Sandy. When he took us to Serbia (his hometown) for 2 weeks of exhibition matches last April, he stayed with us in the hotel during our entire stay there despite his residence being just 10 minutes away. Even during our weights sessions, he would sit there for the entire 2 hours while we work out with our strength and conditioning coach. Some other coaches would probably use that time to take care of their other 'rackets'.

 

We are aware that there has been some resistance from the local basketball community regarding hiring a foreign coach to be the captain of the ship for the national team. Being under him for several months now, i have come to really appreciate the new system and tactical changes that he has introduced. For that and all the other things that i have mentioned earlier, i am truly grateful to be part of this experience, to be under his wing. I sincerely hope that more local coaches can humble themselves and try to learn this new European philosophy that Coach T has adopted rather than being so close-minded thinking that we already know it all. Maybe you're good enough locally, but outside is an entirely different competition. We always want to learn from the US style, but then again we must accept that we are not genetically gifted like them. This is a great opportunity for Philippine basketball to regain its rightful position in the international spectrum.

 

This is why i believe that i made the smart choice. Actually, i was more of lucky because i finished my collegiate career right at the perfect time while this new program is being developed. God just has His ways. If i had joined the PBA draft, i might have been disillusioned and my passion for the game might not be the same as it is right now. What better feeling it is to be playing the sport you love, traveling around the world, playing intensely with a special bunch of guys, and most importantly, playing for ONE goal - that is the Philippine flag. A goal that is not unique for the Gilas team, but one that is shared by the 90 million Filipinos all over the world.

 

Chris Tiu

 

P.S. Who can ever blame Japeth for making that same decision "to play for country"??

 

:thumbsdownsmiley: :thumbsdownsmiley: A lot of money did it for Japeth

Edited October 8, 2009 by thegame08

[btljc]

if Japeth wanted alot of money, he would have opted to be in BOTH teams. May bayad na sa Burger King, may bayad pa sa Smart-Gilas.

 

Alot depended on CJ Giles, yes, but when he was in foul trouble and Ballesteros replaced him, was there a difference in the execution of their defensive plays?

 

What do you expect from a league who has practically the same head coaches for almost a decade now? Guiao, Uichico, Reyes, Cone? Tapos aalternate sina Black, Altamirano, Austria? If they don't train new coaches, do you think they have the inkling to train new trainers?

 

And the players, Hontiveros pa din ba? Hugnatan? Ferriols? Don't forget that Hontiveros came from the MBA. Ilang taon ng wala ang MBA?

[dencio]

Smart-Gilas relies heavily on their American reinforcement inside the shaded area and since they don't allowed reinforcement/import sa FIBA-Asia Smart-Gilas would have finish 10th or lower

 

A lot of the strong Mideast teams are also reinforced. Jordan's best player is Rasheem Wright - an American; Lebanon also brought in at least 2 new reinforcements in the recently concluded FIBA-Asia. Gilas won't be the first and certainly won't be the last to do this.

[kanto-terrorist]

Smart-Gilas relies heavily on their American reinforcement inside the shaded area and since they don't allowed reinforcement/import sa FIBA-Asia Smart-Gilas would have finish 10th or lower

 

a lot of other FIBA- supposed-to-be national teams are reinforced by the so-called "naturalized" reinforcement. Jordan, Japan, Germany, heck, even Russia (akala ko first time kong makakita ng rusong egoy) are reinforced, if not being lead, by their "import". Andaya ngang tingnan. But that's their way to get into the competition, so why not ? tutal, if im not wrong, CJ is in the process of naturalization na rin.

 

Ok, CJ is such a big help. but nung na foul trouble sya, the team still kept their composure, still executing the plays the way it should be, kitang kita ang disiplina. Im may be exag regarding the 6th placed finish kung sila ang nasa Tianjin but what im really impressed about is the way they play as a team. I dont care kung anung place pa sila as long as nakikita ko ang character ng team. Gusto ko naman kahit papano makakita ng national team natin na disiplinado, di nagkakanyakanya, walang masyadong nagpapa showtime, walang wanna-be iverson, walang feeling "sya ang Michael Jordan ng team na ito so ia isolation play ko na lang". I've been wishing of a team comparable to what im seeing in FIBA Europe, which i can say, the definition of a National Team, regardless of the results. Come 2012 at walang nangyaring maganda sa team na to, i wont be disappointed. We should be happy that at least were doing something different, hindi yung puro superstars na lang ng PBA na kulang sa preparasyon ang laging pinapadala.