Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes is under no delusion that there are any easy draws when it comes to the FIBA World Cup. But, apparently, he had his eyes set on certain teams.
The Ivory Coast was one of them.
"Well, you know, this is the World Cup so there is no such thing as an easy draw,” Reyes told reporters after the FIBA World Cup draw on Saturday. “The best way I can categorize it [is] it's not ideal, but it could've been better.”
Better in this case, at least according to Reyes’ assessment, is if Gilas would have drawn the Ivory Coast instead of familiar foe Angola.
"I would've hoped that the last pick would've been the Ivory Coast instead of Angola because I thought that Angola was the tougher team, not that Ivory Coast is weak by any means," Reyes explained.
Reyes may have a point. Angola has been one of Africa’s resident powerhouses, and it actually beat Gilas, 84-81, in a 2019 thriller that tested both teams’ resolve.
While he may not have gotten his wishes in the draw, Reyes is taking things in stride and focusing on the positive: He and the rest of the coaching staff now know what they will be facing a few months from now.
"Now, we have some clarity on who we're playing and what kind of preparation is necessary to be at our best come August," added Reyes.
To that end, Reyes has promised that he and his staff will be looking to form the best team possible.