Smart Gilas-Pilipinas is unbeaten in commissioner’s cup

RAJKO TOROMAN said he is not at all surprised with the way Smart Gilas-Pilipinas has been performing in the Commissioner’s Cup of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

But the Serbian coach clarified playing the local pros does not mean they are ready for the international arena. He said there is more tinkering to do with the way they play.

“We are doing okay in the PBA but in the international competition, we still need some pieces,” said Toroman, who is eyeing five professionals to beef up the team for the London Olympics qualifier in China in September.

“We already have the system and it works differently with the PBA teams, that’s why we want those pieces to be with us early so that we can jell as a team,” he added.

The pros on Toroman’s wish list are Talk ’N Text’s Jimmy Alapag, Kelly Williams, Ryan Reyes and Ranidel de Ocampo; Meralco’s Asi Taulava; San Miguel Beer’s Arwind Santos and Anthony Washington; B-MEG Derby Ace’s James Yap and Alaska’s Sonny Thoss and Joe Devance.

The Nationals added San Miguel Beer to their list of victims following a mind-boggling 109-68 annihilation of the Beermen to remain unscathed after four games in the tournament.

“I have to be satisfied. We are really improving not just because we are playing good in the PBA. We played great in Dubai and if you ask the Filipino workers there, they are proud of Smart Gilas because we are making them proud,” said Toroman.

“That’s why I want to play in this conference for the people here to get the chance to see what we are doing and also get some toughness from the PBA teams,” he added.

Toughness they showed against San Miguel Beer. Despite the Beermen’s effort to go physical, the Nationals kept their composure and torched the All-Filipino runners-up from the three-point zone (16-of-32) and dominated the paint with American reinforcement Marcus Douthit at the helm.

But despite the 41-point win, Toroman said Smart Gilas’s 103-98 victory over Talk ’N Text was, for him, their best game so far in the mid-season conference.

“San Miguel didn’t play good. They didn’t play to the level they can. They tried to fake us with their man-to-man defense then went to zone beginning the second half and it didn’t work,” said Toroman.

“We just dominated every segment of the game—defense, rebounds, assists, three points, two points. Everything was on our side,” he added.

According to PBA statitistics head Fidel Mangonon, it was San Miguel’s worst loss in recent years.

With its unblemished record, Smart Gilas is close to sealing a spot in the conference’s top six.

“We are now almost in the playoffs and that’s great for us,” said Toroman, who was responsible for bringing Iran to its first Olympics in 2008 in Beijing.

Joel Orellana, Business Mirror