No one was hating when the FIBA World Cup named its All-Star Five. Tournament MVP Dennis Schroder of world champion Germany certainly deserved the honor. Just like him, Bogdan Bogdanovic of Serbia, Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards of USA, and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic showed out and rightfully earned the distinction.
Well, it’s time to have fun with the global hoops summit’s top five performers. How so? The only way to do that is to match them up with some of the best cagers who have donned the Gilas Pilipinas jersey.
Now, since the FIBA World Cup All-Star Five is comprised of four guards and one guy who can be considered a forward in Luka, their Gilas counterparts will be from the same positions as well.
Let’s get it!
Dennis Schroder vs Jayson Castro
Schroder’s best asset is his speed. When he turns the jets on, it’s very rare that someone catches up to him. Gilas on the other hand, has its own master speedster in the Blur. This is basically speed vs speed, which puts Castro in a good spot to hold his own in this duel.
Don’t discount the man who, for a time, held the title as the best point guard in Asia.
Bogdan Bogdanovic vs Terrence Romeo
Defending Bogdan might be tougher than an overcooked steak so the next best move against the Serbian star is to make him work on defense. What better way to do that than putting Terrence Romeo in front of him. 27 crossovers, 15 shoulder fakes, 11 hesi-dribbles, a pull-up jumper, or a floater. That entire sequence is what Bogdanovic would likely be up against every time Romeo gets him in an iso situation.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs Jordan Clarkson
SGA is ridiculously skilled but JC is not far behind. In this scenario, the Gilas reinforcement is definitely a live underdog. Betting on Clarkson could turn out to be a wise decision.
Anthony Edwards vs Dwight Ramos
Edwards is undoubtedly a stud. There’s a good chance that he’ll become NBA’s next great superstar. That being said, it’s not hard to imagine the Minnesota Timberwolves franchise player having some difficulties dealing with one of Gilas’ most well-rounded wings. Plus, Ramos has no quit in him. Who knows? St. Dwight vs. Ant might end up being as good as Gaara vs. Rock Lee from Naruto.
Luka Doncic vs Gabe Norwood
Luka is a legit contender for the title of best basketball player in the planet. In the World Cup All-Star Five, he’s probably the most explosive in terms of scoring. The best way to counter that is to tap the services of one of Gilas’ best defenders. Norwood might stand a chance given his height, agility, athleticism, and most importantly, his smarts.
Where’s Jimmy Alapag? Well, the captain will be Gilas’ sixth man in this particular exercise. Now, before you get all serious and critical with these fantasy matchups, always remember that sports is supposed to be fun. So just go along with it and create your own make-believe lineups with your buddies.
(GM)