GILAS HAS A POINT GUARD PROBLEM

FIBA.COM

I chose this photo from the FIBA website to emphasize a point. This is Mike Phillips at the top of the key, looking for a way to score against his defender. Sure, there's nothing particularly striking about this photo until you realize that Motor Mike is playing the power forward position.

So one has to ask.

Where are our point guards?

Gilas Pilipinas struggled like hell against Australia.

Sure, we can talk about the Boomers' physicality, the absence of Justin Brownlee, and the slew of turnovers. Still, the squad's inability to stand its ground in the face of Australia's intimidation tactics was what doomed them.

Honestly, the game was watchable before Australia broke away from the 8-8 tie in the first quarter, and then when they kept feeding June Mar Fajardo the ball with Motor Mike Phillips looking for the rebound whenever JMF missed his shot.

Apart from those moments, I thought Gilas Pilipinas played aimlessly.

And no, it wasn't even just Australia's bruiser-like antics.

It was like the team was self-destructing in plain sight.

I know the turnovers were the main reason for Gilas Pilipinas' defeat, and I guess their outside shooting was also a major factor, but it felt like we knew Australia was hellbent on destroying the squad.

I know the Boomers' defense was pesky as hell, which is why I can't understand why the other players weren't helping the guards bring the ball up. I mean, I get that the players have to be in position so the execution becomes easier, but how can they score when the ball handlers are getting mauled on the other side of the court?

Also, what pissed me off while watching was that instead of advancing the ball to avoid a backcourt violation, they were passing it to the player behind them. Worse, that player was walking. Again, there was no urgency from Gilas here.

And lastly, I know Australia was playing physically, but instead of concentrating on making their shots, Gilas was trying to fish for fouls. The thing about the New Zealand match was that Brownlee was there to act as a decoy. I doubt Australia would have trapped the ball that consistently if they knew they were dead meat the moment Gilas broke the press.

The key quarter here was the second because the lead was cut to 14 when they kept passing the ball to June Mar Fajardo. Again, for those who see June Mar as a liability, going inside is a great way to get high-percentage shots and second-chance possessions. In some ways, their defense worked as well, with JMF clogging the paint and Mike Phillips hovering around the basket to secure the defensive rebounds.

So yeah, June Mar is June Mar, and it would take consistent appearances from Kai Sotto before you can get rid of him in Gilas.

But what bothered me was that when they knew Australia was playing aggressive defense, some of the players just stayed on the other side of the court. And even those who stayed back weren't coming to the ball handlers. The guards weren't asking their teammates for help. Hell, they were so rattled that, at one point, we even saw June Mar Fajardo backing the ball up to half court.

I mean, why was June Mar carrying the ball to the other side, and where were the combo guards to help him?

Gilas never controlled the ballgame, and unfortunately, the point guards are to blame. Again, whenever they brought the ball up the floor, they always entered the half-court from the sidelines, and not in the center of the half-court. Yes, I don't know much about playing basketball, but I do know that when you enter from the side, there's a great chance that the player will fall into a trap. It's either a desperation pass or a double team that results in a turnover.

Tim Cone was pleading and shouting during the timeouts that the guards should impose their will and not be scared of Australia's physical game. Cone then kept shuffling his guards constantly, which was also uncharacteristic of him since we know him as someone who likes tight rotations.

Gilas even found success when Dwight Ramos and Kevin Quiambao were bringing the ball up instead of Abarrientos and Gomez de Liano. Chris Newsome also had some success bringing the ball up, but the problem with New-New was that he was playing overly rugged. That might become another problem for Gilas against Australia because the last thing they need is to relive the old Gilas-Australia brawl that sent the program back to almost square one.

And while yes, I agree that Gilas can lose this fight, Australia got its defensive mindset from New Zealand. If the Tall Blacks and the Boomers are successful in neutralizing our offense, then teams like Iran, Jordan, and Syria can also do the same. Again, it's okay to lose to Australia, but they don't need to hand the opposing teams their blueprint for beating us.

Suddenly, I remembered how New Zealand had trapped Tamayo with 8.3 seconds left in the first overtime, which would have been averted if there had been other players to help him. Tamayo couldn't even pull a heave without hitting the outstretched arms of his defender.

Again, Australia saw this and all of a sudden got an idea on how to stop Gilas.

I will always support Gilas Pilipinas. Again, I believe Australia is a different animal compared to the European teams we have faced. They know us, they don't respect our game because they know they're better than everyone else on the continent, and we also have history with them.

However, we also have to be wary of the cards we reveal.

The reason why Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro are above everyone else is that they were fearless in taking shots while also intimidating the opposition. Right now, we don't have that player in Gilas Pilipinas.

Yes, Abarrientos and Gomez de Liano are the team's future, but more than Brownlee and Ramos, I think we still need a guy like Scottie Thompson on the team. Yes, his outside shooting is suspect, but when push comes to shove, he knows how to impose his presence.

This makes me wonder if it's a good idea to bring Kiefer Ravena back to the squad.

If it's not Scottie, then it should be Kiefer.

Right now, we can add all the size and shooting we want, but if the point guards can't stabilize the team, then I definitely believe the three Middle Eastern teams will have our number.