Gilas Pilipinas would have to work on its chemistry if it wants to go deep into the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Former Gilas coach Rajko Toroman came up with the observation after witnessing the Filipinos’ game during a friendly match against Ivory Coast last Friday.
Although Gilas bludgeoned the visiting squad, 85-62, the Serbian coach saw a critical chink in the armor of the Chot Reyes-mentored team which seeks a better showing after a last placed finish in the 2019 edition of basketball’s biggest stage held in China.
“First game with Jordan Clarkson. They need the time to fix everything, to make the chemistry. But you know Clarkson can do a lot, you can see that he dominated the play here,” Toroman, who was the first tactician to handle the Gilas program from 2009 to 2011, said.
“(They) just need to make the chemistry between all the players.”
Gilas, however, do not have the luxury of time to finetune their cohesion with just three days left before action kicks off at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
The Filipinos open their campaign against Dominican Republic, bannered by Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns.
Gilas are playing Mexico as of press time for the last of their three tune-up matches.
The final 12-man line-up of Gilas will be announced during the team managers’ meeting on Wednesday.
With a good mix of young and veteran players including a National Basketball Association star in Clarkson of the Utah Jazz, Toroman believes that Reyes has at his disposal the best basketball team in Philippine history.
“They have size, everything, even the guys who have international exposure like Kiefer Ravena and Dwight Ramos. I think that’s the strongest team in the history of Philippine basketball,” he said.
Aside from the Dominicans, Gilas will face Angola on 27 August and Italy on 29 August in Group A at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with the top two teams advancing to the next round.
