It’s way different from practice.
Gilas Pilipinas ended its campaign in the Heywuan WUS International Basketball Tournament with a slam dunk. With another lethal run in the fourth quarter, Philippines defeated Iran on Monday, 63-48 to finish the China pocket tilt with a 3-1 win-loss record. It was Dwight Ramos who led the way for Gilas this time as he scored a game-high 17 points.
Also worth mentioning was the excellent play of Kiefer Ravena from the point guard position. In the final period, the 29-year-old playmaker took command orchestrating Gilas’ offense, which ultimately resulted in a 19-5 run. With Scottie Thompson still sidelined, it seems like the Philippine contingent has found a worthy candidate for a backup floor general.
Developments as such can only happen outside of practice and that’s why joining pocket tournaments is important. To further explain this point, Gilas coach Chot Reyes emphasized the benefits of engaging in organized tune-up matches against top-caliber squads.
“It’s like a dress rehearsal because no matter what we do in practice, no matter how hard we play, we cannot simulate the effort in an actual game of an actual team,” Reyes told Carlo Pamintuan of One Sports after the contest.
“We can’t simulate the unpredictability, the figuring out what kind of defensive scheme they’re going to run, the kind of offense they’re going to run, and then finding ways to stop it. That’s why playing games like these is very important for us,” he elaborated.
Before the FIBA World Cup tips off on August 25, Gilas is expected to play additional tune-up matches in Manila. In those games, the Philippine squad, should already have NBA star Jordan Clarkson in the lineup. The Utah Jazz scoring specialist arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday, August 8.