Crossing the Bridge - Smart Gilas & Philippine Hoops Future

Watching from courtside, SBP vice chairman Ricky Vargas noticed something in the way the two round-of-16 games were played at the FIBA World Championships in the 15,500-seat Sinan Erdem Dome in Istanbul, Turkey, last Friday.


It was how Spain, Greece, Serbia and Croatia moved the ball with precision, allowing the guards to make the finishing plays instead of the bigs up front. What impressed Vargas was the efficiency of the European game, an exciting style that Serbian coach Rajko Toroman is adopting for the Smart-Gilas Philippine team.

Vargas, Toroman, SBP executive director Noli Eala and Smart Sports director Patrick Gregorio left Manila for Istanbul last Thursday. Except for Eala who is scheduled to return home tomorrow, the travelling group flew back last Monday.

“What a transformation for the Philippines,” said Gregorio. “Four years ago, we were in the FIBA doghouse. At the last World Championships, representatives from SBP and the BAP were locked in a room in Tokyo ironing out a communiqué. The Philippines couldn’t participate in the FIBA Congress because we were suspended. But now, with the SBP recognized by FIBA and the Philippine Olympic Committee, the Philippines is once again in good standing.”

SBP president Manny Pangilinan would’ve flown to Istanbul with the travelling party if not for the sore eyes that kept him home.

Vargas was the country’s chief delegate at the opening of the FIBA Congress, traditionally held during the World Championships, in the Ciragan Palace in Istanbul last Friday. Over 170 countries were represented in the meeting where earphones were provided delegates with options to listen to five simultaneous translations of the floor proceedings.

“It felt good when FIBA secretary-general Patrick Baumann went through the roll call and announced the Philippines’ attendance,” said Gregorio. “The Congress took up a lot of issues, including rule changes effective in January next year. The three major changes are moving the three-point distance from 20.5 to 22 feet, reshaping the shaded area from trapezoid to rectangle and creating a no-charge zone. Because of the timing of the effectivity, the Asian Games will probably still use the old rules unless the organizing committee decides otherwise.”

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Gregorio said it was an experience witnessing two FIBA round-of-16 knockout games which ended up with Spain beating Greece, 80-72, and Serbia edging Croatia, 73-72.

“It was a joy to watch,” he said. “Mr. Vargas observed how the ball is passed to a spot on the court where a player moves in to receive. It’s not passed directly to a player. Ball movement is so precise. The guards really control the play, like Ricky Rubio and Rudy Fernandez for Spain. The big men are role players who defend, get rebounds and set screens. They don’t execute to suit a player like a Shaquille O’Neal or even a Tim Duncan at the post. It’s exactly the style that coach Rajko wants for Smart-Gilas. We’ve got Chris Tiu, Jayvee Casio and Mark Barroca in the backcourt. They’ll make the plays with support from our big guys. It’s the system that works in FIBA competitions.”

Gregorio said the weekend trip proved to be valuable in terms of networking. Two officials with whom the Philippine delegation enjoyed a close interaction were Lebanon Basketball Federation president Georges Barakat and FIBA administrator and sport development director Zoran Radovic. Both complimented the Philippines for advancing to the semifinals at the recent FIBA-Asia Stankovic Cup in Beirut.

“Mr. Barakat recounted how we nearly beat Lebanon in the semifinals,” said Gregorio. “Imagine, we were down by one and had possession with six seconds left. He mentioned that thousands of Lebanese fans would’ve asked for his neck if the home team lost. Mr. Barakat was surprised to find out we didn’t play with an import – that Asi (Taulava) is considered a Filipino. He was amazed by our ‘little boys,’ adding that it’s not the height that counts but the heart. Then, Mr. Radovic commented on Smart-Gilas’ progress, that he expects us to be competitive for a medal in the coming Asian Games.”

Rajko Toroman

Gregorio said Toroman was warmly received by FIBA officials and delegates from other countries. He is widely known for his coaching expertise and leading Iran to the 2007 FIBA-Asia title that earned a ticket to the Beijing Olympics.

“Coach Rajko was like our goodwill ambassador because he is quite popular in FIBA,” said Gregorio. “He introduced us to delegates from Jordan Lebanon, Iran, Serbia and others. We also strengthened our ties with FIBA-Asia secretary-general Dato Yeoh Choo Hock, Indonesian federation president Erik Tohir and many more. Through our interaction, we learned that Lebanon may be moving the host site for the 2011 FIBA-Asia championships to Beirut but a new bidding process could take place. China is interested to host and we informed Dato Yeoh so is Manila.”

Hosting the 2011 FIBA-Asia Championships, the regional Olympic qualifier, comes with a hefty price tag. Lebanon reportedly paid $600,000 for the rights to host the recent Stankovic Cup and next year’s FIBA-Asia Championships.

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Visiting Istanbul itself was an eye-opener.

“The city has a population of about 17 million and the traffic is bad, like in Manila,” said Gregorio. “What makes it unique is the Bosphorus strait which cuts through the city. On one side of the channel is the European side, leading towards Greece and the other side is the Asian side leading towards Iran. There’s a distinct difference between the two sides. You see Ottoman castles in the European side and quaint houses in the Asian side. A bridge takes you from one side to the other.”

In a parallel sense, Toroman is bringing Smart-Gilas across the basketball bridge from playing the Philippine style, influenced by the US game, to the European style where the accent is crisp passing, multiple touches, minimal dribbling, quick movement to create spacing, three-point shooting, full-court pressure and unselfish basketball.

by Joaquin Henson
philstar.com