Marc Pingris marvels at the height and talent of the Gilas Pilipinas squad that will see action in the FIBA Basketball World Cup from 25 August to 10 September.
But the question is: Do they have the heart to make an impact?
In the latest episode of Down to the Wire podcast, Pingris challenged the new breed of Gilas stars, saying that they have to display their big fighting heart if they want to emerge as the top-performing Asian team in the World Cup that will earn a ticket to the Paris Olympics next year.
“It’s up to them. It’s up to them how they would work hard for it, how willing are they to go the extra mile,” said Pingris during the weekly show of Daily Tribune.
“They have the talent and the size. But the big question is do they have the heart to do it?”
With the talent that Gilas coach Chot Reyes has in the pool, it won’t be a surprise if he assembles the tallest and most talented national squad ever.
National Basketball Association star Jordan Clarkson is already on board while 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto, 6-foot-10 AJ Edu and June Mar Fajardo and 6-foot-9 Japeth Aguilar are expected to patrol the paint.
They also have cat-quick guards in Ray Parks, CJ Perez, Chris Newsome and Kieffer Ravena as well as wingers in Dwight Ramos, Thirdy Ravena, Jamie Malonzo and Calvin Oftana.
Reyes is also a capable mentor as he led Gilas to the World Cup for the first time in 38 years in 2014 with Pingris and Jayson Castro as leaders.
“They have a good chance because of the overwhelming size that they have now,” Pingris said.
“Then, they have the talent as they have Jordan Clarkson. His experience in the game will play a big role as he can share it to the other players. Of course, Gilas are also well-coached.”
Castro said playing at home will be the major advantage of Gilas.
“It’s going to be a big factor,” Castro said.
“I think we have a good chance, especially if we can get the support of the basketball-loving Filipinos. Let’s all unite and support our Gilas team. Pray for them. The more we cheer for them, the more that they’re going to stay motivated.”
“Let’s do this for the World Cup. Let’s avoid bashing the team. We’re doing this in order to qualify for the Olympics because that would be a dream come true for us who love basketball.”
