Actually, to crucify the RP basketball coach for the shameful loss to the Indons may be too much too severe.
Yes, even if 110 million Pinoys are heartbroken.
But it cannot be helped.
It matters little and less even if the Philippines finished only fourth in the overall medal tally.
But, gosh, to be defeated by an opponent better known for his football skills than for shooting hoops, the embarrassing 85-81 loss to Indonesia is anathema and utterly unacceptable to the Pinoy sports fans.
What a shame.
Decades ago, in the basketball community which I had covered since 1974, the general belief was that even a collegiate team – like the UAAP or NCAA champion – can beat any of our opponents hands down in the SEAG.
There are two or three reasons I can offer why the debacle occurred.
Overconfidence, shallow selection of team members and scouting failure.
Because Pinoys have been used to teach our ASEAN neighbors basketball lessons in this biennial regional meet for as long as we all can remember, the ever glowing self-confidence in our innate abilities has been ingrained in our consciousness.
This overconfidence is always destructive.
As you now evaluate, coach Chot lamented the absence of Japeth Aguilar who is a monster in shot blocking, alley oops and dunks.
Why then did he not pick up Ange Kouame from Ateneo, the recent UAAP MVP? Or Greg Slaughter who offered himself to Gilas when no contract was offered to him by Northport in January yet?
The silence at the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is deafening.
History repeated itself when the Pinoy quintet succumbed to Malaysia in 1989.
Reyes’ backcourt tandem needed somebody like the intelligent court general Jayson Castro and the wily Kevin Alas. The former Letranite would have been the perfect point guard but circumstances beyond his control forced the fellow to skip the tournament.
There is really no excuse (nor alibi) that can assuage the anger and the hurt boiling inside of the millions of basketball fanatics.
The scouting snafu did not give the coaching staff adequate and solid information on how to defend against Rajko Toroman and his re-invigorated squad.
Reyes admitted that he did not completely know Toroman’s game plan. Indonesia’s naturalized player, Marques Bolden poured in a double double performance (18 pts.,10 rebounds, 3 assists in 32 minutes).
As the dreary 1989 collapse in Kuala Lumpur could not be erased from our minds, the same is true with this deplorable upset loss to Indonesia.
I don’t know if coach Chot and the SBP can snore soundly as they used to.
This nightmare will haunt them for a long time. (Email your feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
