By REYNALD MAGALLON
Gone were the days when Gilas Pilipinas was being criticized by fans, sometimes even opposing coaches or players, for the lack of quality and talent.
Also gone were the views about Tim Cone’s triangle offense to be obsolete and outdated in an age where teams thrive on three-point shooting, fast paced tempo and quick actions.
Those beliefs were all shattered with one promising Gilas run in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament. The Nationals were far from their goals of making it to the Paris Olympics as they play Brazil in the semifinals as of press time but Cone and his wards have already proven their quality.
A world class one at that and numbers prove.
Through the group stage, Gilas’ offense, utilizing the triangle offense popularized by Phil Jackson with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, have been tearing down opposing teams’ defenses.
Against European teams in world No. 6 Latvia and No.23 Georgia, Gilas has been leading the way in all offensive categories with a tournament-best 91.5 points – a rarity in a 40-minute contest.
In comparison, Latvia, known for its three-point shooting especially during their 2023 World Cup where they finished fifth, only has 81.5 points, and Brazil, which boasted current and former NBA talents, was only third with 77.5 points per game.
Gilas has been shooting incredibly well with 55.4 percent clip from the field, including a 57.9 percent from inside the paint and 51.2 percent from deep – all of which were also the best in the OQT in Riga.
The Filipinos have been sharing the wealth well to also lead the way in assists department with 21.5 per game although familiarity on the triangle offense has also been an issue evident on the 18..4 turnovers.
But it was understandable considering with only 10-day preparation time to get accustomed to their plays. Still, that was enough to earn praises from the opposing coaches.
“They have an efficient offensive system. It’s not simple, and it’s not common. Not only in Europe, but in general, it’s not common to have teams who run such a system,” said Latvia coach Luca Branchi.
“(Their system) allowed them to have a clear identity on the court, but also defensively, it is a team that you have to attack with better poise and focus,” he added.
Justin Brownlee has been lording it over as well with averages of 27.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists. Kai Sotto is finally also living up to the big expectation on his shoulders while June Mar Fajardo, criticized for not being effective on the international stage, has been a dominant force for Gilas.
Whether Gilas makes it to Paris or not, the Nationals have already proven that Cone’s offense, Filipino’s quality is world class.
