MANILA---Smart Gilas Pilipinas is giving PBA teams a run for their money.
The nationals have managed to dominate this import-laden conference as they squeaked past reigning titlists Talk N Text and Alaska and new-look Air21 before running an overhauled San Miguel Beer squad to the ground.
But even in the middle of the winning streak, skipper Chris Tiu believes that a mere spotless record is not enough to be a barometer of success.
“Of course we can be satisfied. But we can still do better,” said Tiu. “It’s a long tournament. Other teams will keep getting better and they’re going to peak at the right time.”
Though it’s indeed still too early in the tournament to judge Smart Gilas, there’s no denying that Nationals have been playing more than commendable basketball.
In all of their four games, five players scored in double digits. They're hitting 36.5 percent from the outside—even with Tiu and guard Jvee Casio in a nagging shooting slump.
Smart Gilas owes the lion’s share of success to the towering naturalized center Marcus Douthit, who is averaging of 21.5 points with almost as many rebounds. Douthit's imposing presence opens up looks for the team's shooters, allowing guys like Marcio Lassiter to average 16.3 points per game.
“They’re really strong. We cannot check their import (Douthit),” said Air21 mentor Bong Ramos, whose squad dropped its assignment to Smart Gilas where Douthit exploded for 30 points.
Even Alaska mentor Tim Cone, who lost to Smart Gilas in an 89-91 heartbreak, echoed this sentiment, “They have a 6’11 import—they have to be tough.”
The locals have also played a huge part in the feat with Mark Barroca and Aldrech Ramos putting up consistent numbers.
“We’re really improving. It’s not just we play good in the PBA. I can tell you we played great in Dubai,” said National team coach Rajko Toroman.
But Toroman admits that the remarkable Smart Gilas we are seeing still won’t cut it in the international competition, hinting that they would still need more players to add to the team mostly made out of college standouts.
“Even though we win (this), I still think we need some more pieces. But these pieces should at least (spend) three months with us because we have a different system.
The FIBA Asia championship, the qualifier for the 2012 London Olympics, will be held late this year.
Tiu and Toroman, though, shared that apart from harnessing experience from the pros—being in the PBA is more on serving notice to the Filipinos of the work they’re usually doing overseas.
“I wanted to play in the second conference is for the Filipino people and the fans of basketball to see what we’re doing and how we can play,” said Toroman.
“We want to play for them (the Filipinos). We keep on playing abroad and nobody really sees how we play, so what’s the point right?” said Tiu. “(Now) we can show what the national team is really made of.”
The Nationals are a win away from making it to the next phase of the eliminations, but the team already has its eyes set on a higher goal.
“Initially our goal was make it to the top six. But know I feel we can make it to the top two,” said Tiu. “But we don’t want to be too far ahead. If we win the championship, then we can celebrate.”
Celest Flores, Phil. Daily Inquirer
