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The difference between Chot Reyes and Tim Cone is night and day.
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I know these coaches are excellent in their own right, but in terms of chemistry, gameplay, and fan appreciation, Gilas Pilipinas under the 25-time PBA champion is better.
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I am still not a Chot Reyes hater though. In terms of Gilas' futility, we forget the stints of Tab Baldwin and Yeng Guiao. Reyes is also fourth all-time in the PBA in terms of championships.
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Still, Tim Cone is the best.
And you can see it with the way they played in this game.
The Hong Kong game's main theme is all about getting the young stars their piece of the action. And yes, they did not disappoint.
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That is why I still think there is something shady with the Terrafirma deal. I think the reason why Terrafirma’s roster was gutted is because my conspiracy theory brain is thinking that their pick will go to Ginebra. Kai Sotto might be a force in Gilas, but since turning pro, he has played in three teams on three continents. Yes, Carl Tamayo is the second-leading scorer in Korea’s Changwon SK Sakers, but he’ll gladly return to the Philippines if the price is right. And then, there’s KQ. Kevin Quiambao’s game is PBA-ready and if he wants to turn pro, the only way he’ll lose the top spot is if Kai Sotto or Carl Tamayo joins him. I know he can still return to the DLSU Green Archers but the team is loaded for the next season, thanks to fellow Gilas player Mason Amos, former NU Bulldog Kean Baclaan, and former NCAA champion Jacob Cortez.
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So what’s the connection between these facts and the Hong Kong game? Well, Tamayo went nuts, leading the team with 18 points, six rebounds, and two triples in just 17 minutes of action. Quiambao only had eight points, but he also had five boards and four dimes in 22 minutes of action. This means one of these two players is slowly getting the groove in Tim Cone’s system.
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At the moment, Ginebra is the frontrunner to the Troy Rosario sweepstakes, and then potential Gilas mainstay in RJ Abarrientos, as well as former players Jamie Malonzo and Jeremiah Gray can be good additions in case of emergency because they know Tim Cone’s system.
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With the way Gilas fought New Zealand, as well as their current worldwide run, I think it’s safe to say that HK is bent on losing to Gilas. Gilas Iron Man Dwight Ramos got the DNP in this match to give to other players. Gilas’ combo forward spot is one of the team’s weaknesses because of AJ Edu’s and Malonzo’s injury issues, as well as the drastic height drop when June Mar Fajardo and Kaiju take a breather. Japeth Aguilar has had flashes of brilliance as the team’s backup center, but he is already on the bad side of 30. This is why the development of Tamayo and Quiambao is going to be awesome for Gilas. These players can bang bodies and they have shooting as well. It’s like they are outworking the other on who can be the team’s next Ranidel De Ocampo or Marc Pingris.
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If there’s one thing I hate about the HK rout is that we are seeing the decline of Duncan Reid’s gameplay. The former HK top dog finished the game with six points, six rebounds, and a 25 percent field goal clip. He is almost two months older than June Mar Fajardo.
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Anyway, even with an immaculate 4-0 record, Gilas Pilipinas must finish the first round strong. Gilas will fly to New Zealand in February after playing Chinese Taipei on their home turf.
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Gilas defeated Chinese-Taipei last February, 106 to 53, with Justin Brownlee finishing with 26 points, while Sotto finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks.
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PHILIPPINES 93
Tamayo 18, Fajardo 14, Brownlee 13, Sotto 12, Newsome 9, Thompson 8, Perez 8, Quiambao 8, Amos 3, Oftana 0, Aguilar 0.
HONG KONG, CHINA 54
Shiu WL 11, Xu 10, Yang 8, Choi KT 8, Reid 6, Yiu PY 4, Yuet YP 3, Leung 3, Chung TN 0, Sui HY 0, Tin CH 0, Chi HT 0.