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After a more than disappointing showing against Italy, Philippines faced Serbia on September 2 and looked to at least show a little more heart against the heavy favorites of the tournament. To no surprise, however, the full-forced Serbians obliterated the Filipino gunners and finished the game 126-67.
This 59-point blowout is currently the largest losing margin in the tournament, and it makes the average margin loss for the Philippines at 52.5--the worst point difference among all 32 teams.
The game proved just how behind the Philippine basketball program is as compared to Serbia and other top European teams. Here, we look at 3 talking points from Philippines vs. Serbia.
#3 Andray Blatche needs to go
Andray Blatche, the naturalized player that the Philippines tapped to supposedly reinforce the team, was just horrible in the last two games. Just from the eye test, the center looked so out of shape and was always late to rotations. He held onto the ball for too long, dribbling from the three-point line to the rim for a layup as if he was a light, speedy point guard. And if he wasn't successful in getting to his spot, he would continue to iso and shoot heavily contested shots.
In the game against Italy, Blatche chucked up 15 points from 13 attempts and had 9 turnovers. As if his performance could not get any worse, he only had 5 points against Serbia from 10 shot attempts, 7 of which were from downtown. The center shot more threes than the team's guards and small forwards!
Blatche's volume shooting may have worked in the past, and he may actually have actually been a great defender in the paint before, but he has just been a negative in this World Cup. June Mar Fajardo, who was limping lightly because of his ankle, performed better than him and was actually able to defend his man in the paint well.
Gilas Pilipinas needs to find another naturalized player who has a full grasp of his role and cares enough to undergo proper conditioning before playing at such an important stage. They need someone more athletic who actually loves playing for the Philippines. Could it be Chris McCullough, perhaps?
#2 Serbia is just too big, too quick, and too good from the perimeter
The basketball powerhouse has an average height of 6'9, making them the tallest roster in the tournament. They scored 70 points from the paint compared to Philippines' 38 points. Their height also did not sacrifice any speed or shooting. The Serbians were able to guard multiple positions, with their bigs defending the Filipino guards well and their guards holding their own against other bigs.
Their transition offense also seemed like a blur, with the turnovers of Gilas Pilipinas resulting in 20 fastbreak points. The Serbians shot 65% from beyond the arc while shooting 65.7% from two-point range. They currently lead all countries in field goal percentage at 70.6%. The second-best shooting team? Australia at 56.7%.
It was clear in the Serbia vs. Philippines game that on top of Serbia's great individual talents and overall deep roster, their team chemistry was also off the charts. They constantly moved the ball and recorded a tournament-high 37 assists.
This should come as no surprise, as they have one of the best basketball programs in the world. They have an elite coaching and training staff who know how to maximize the talents on their roster. Their basketball camp started months before the competition, with an initial 34-man pool training for this World Cup.
#1 The Philippine basketball program needs a complete overhaul
Filipinos are one of the most passionate fans of basketball. The country's professional basketball league, the Philippine Basketball Association, is actually the second oldest professional basketball league in the whole world after the NBA. Yet, here they are looking like amateurs against top European teams.
Gilas Pilipinas, or any other national sports team, should have more than just one week of training for a tournament. Serbia is a top basketball team composed of EuroLeague and NBA players, yet they started training camp months before the World Cup. Philippines, on the other hand, only had a complete training roster for a little over a week before the tournament.
Players like June Mar Fajardo were still competing in the PBA Finals until August 17. Although him skipping his team's victory party for Team Pilipinas camp was admirable, the PBA and the governing basketball body of the Philippines should coordinate scheduling issues to prioritize more important international tournaments.
It may seem like an impossible task, but the Philippine basketball program needs a complete overhaul as soon as possible. The leadership of Samahang Basketbolista ng PIlipinas (SBP) and other concerned bodies should be composed of board members who understand the gravity of the situation. They need to create a long-term program that will hone the skills of young Filipino basketball players to prepare for the future. They also need to to prioritize international tournaments and have a good plan for FIBA and other basketball tournaments.
A well-thought out program will incentivize club teams, allowing their top players to join the team and boost the morale of players coming into any competition. Philippines should focus on the holistic development of athletes that looks into improving aspects such as players' nutrition, conditioning, shooting, defensive skills, basketball IQ, and mental health, just to name a few.
