Two wins seem possible, right?
Now, the hard work can truly begin. With the groupings of the FIBA World Cup now official, Gilas Pilipinas can ramp up its preparations for the prestigious tournament.
After Saturday's draw, the Philippines will battle Italy, Dominican Republic, and Angola in Group A.
Now aware of their opponents in the group phase, coach Chot Reyes and the rest of the Gilas brain trust can better map out strategies and plans, including possibly going overseas anew for their training camp.
Italy
Ranked 10th in the world, Italy is a team Gilas has seen up close and personal, having played the Azzurri in the 2019 edition and losing big, 108-62. Even with the oft-injured Danilo Gallinari as its lone NBA standout, Italy has consistently been among the top teams in Europe, and it was particularly impressive in the qualifiers, where it finished with an 8-2 record. It will take a perfect game for Gilas if they are to exact revenge for that shellacking four years ago.
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a team no one talks about, but it is actually one of the nations on the rise, climbing up to 25th in the world after going 9-3 in the Americas qualifiers. It could even spring out a few surprises come August if NBA All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and Indiana Pacers youngster Chris Duarte follow through on their previous commitments to suit up.
Angola
Perhaps it is destiny, but Gilas will not have to wait long to get a measure of revenge against Angola. The 41st-ranked nation in the world beat the Philippines in 2019 in an overtime thriller. But that iteration of the Black Antelopes might have been on its last rodeo, as the current team is full of new bloods. This younger generation, though, proved its talent in the African qualifiers by going 8-2, and might prove to be a handful if NBA veteran Bruno Fernando plays.
Curiously, Gilas is again in the same group as Angola and Italy—something that happened just in 2019 when all three formed part of Group D with powerhouse Serbia. And, again, it did not have much success against either team, falling to Italy in a blowout and losing a close one against Angola. Meaning, if it wants to get out of the group stage in August, it will have to turn the tables on its 2019 conquerors, or at least one of them (provided Gilas beats the Dominican Republic).
Clearly, with these three opponents, the tournament will not be a cakewalk for Gilas. Reyes already reiterated that ample time is very much needed to pull off upsets in front of the home crowd.
“We played so well in 2014 because of the quality of preparation. We had been able to spend a full month with Andray Blatche as a team, as a unit. We flew to Spain early. We got a nice tune-up pocket tournament in France and then we got a nice pocket tournament in Guadalajara, in different areas in Spain. So, we want to replicate, if not improve on that type of preparation. And hopefully, we can come in and play at that level," said Reyes last February.
The upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia could also serve as an early litmus test for the national team, which has been having manpower issues in practices yet again.
The FIBA World Cup will be from August 25 up to September 10.
Gilas and the rest of Group A are slated to play at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Catch the games live on One Sports and TV5.