Phl Gilas gets ideal Fiba Asia draw

Manila, Philippines - Smart Gilas Pilipinas team officials are convinced the team had a favorable draw, lining the Nationals up for a good shot at the medal games of the 26th FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan, China from Sept. 15-25.

Bracketed with China in the group matches, the Nationals thus avoid an early playoff confrontation with the hosts who are the hands-down favorite in this Asian joust staking one outright berth in the 2012 London Olympics.

Smart Gilas is expected to breeze past other group mates United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, needing probably only one more win in the next round to make the knockout stage.

“I think we have a good group. China is a big favorite and it’s good that we are playing China earlier,” said Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman.

“Great draw for us. We play China in the first round then play Japan, Syria and Jordan in the second round, probably needing to win only once to enter the quarterfinals,” said assistant coach Chot Reyes.

Meeting China, Jordan and Japan in the two-round elims means the Philippines playing anyone among Iran, Lebanon, Qatar, Korea, Chinese-Taipei and probably Kazakhstan in the first stage of the knockout plays.

Two-time defending champion Iran drew Gulf competitor Qatar, East Asia’s Chinese-Taipei, and a yet to be named Middle Asia qualifier in Group B.

Bracketed in Group A are Lebanon, which qualified on the strength of winning the third FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup last year, SEABA’s Malaysia, East Asian champion South Korea, and a Middle Asia qualifier.

In Group C are Japan, which lost to Lebanon in the Stankovic Cup final, SEABA runner-up Indonesia, and West Asia’s Jordan and Syria.

Being the host, China has the right to choose its group and it opted to be with the Philippines, Bahrain and UAE in Group D.

Tournament format calls for a round-robin play in each group with the top three from each advancing to the second round.

Qualifiers from Group A play counterparts from Group B while survivors from Group C battle counterparts from Group D, carrying over their first-round win-loss records.

The top four from Bracket A-B meet the top four from Bracket C-D in a crossover knockout quarters.

Toroman, the Fiba Asia champion coach in 2007 in Tokushima, Japan, pointed to China as the top favorite but insisted there are nine teams with realistic chance of winning.

“It’s like nine crocodiles battling for three pieces of meat,” said the Serbian mentor.

The champion automatically qualifies for the London Olympics while the first runner-up and second runner-up compete in a world qualifying tourney where three Olympic berths are at stake.

The Philippines last played China in Fiba Asia meet in 2007. The Nationals then under coach Chot Reyes twice repulsed the Chinese (Team B under coach Adiljan) to finish ninth.

Reyes and his troops found themselves then in the Group of Death with the Chinese, eventual champion Iran and Jordan.

Two years later in Tianjin, China, the Philippines improved a rung up to eighth under coach Yeng Guiao.

The country last won this Asian meet in 1986 with a team bannered by Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Hector Calma and naturalized players Dennis Still and Jeff Moore under coach Ron Jacobs.

Prior to that, an all-homegrown team led by Robert Jaworski and Ramon Fernandez triumphed at home in 1973.

Nelson Beltran, Philippine Star