Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Powerade Team Pilipinas (Philippines) vs Sri Lanka / What Pressure?

Powerade Team Pilipinas (Philippines) vs Sri Lanka Fiba-Asia Championship 9:00 AM August 6, 2009

Powerade Team Pilipinas notes
  1. Helterbrand and Reyes are still hurting.
  2. James Yap hasn't practiced (understandable).
  3. Powerade Team Pilipinas Basketball team is still in hard practice and hopefully better results will come out from their cramming.



This is an important game for Team Pilipinas as a win will ensure them of a spot in the second round and survive. It will also lessen the pressure on the team. Can Team Pilipinas win against Sri Lanka? Of course (no offense to the Sri Lankan people), this is basketball and we have enough fire power to put Sri Lanka away early. I think our players have enough experience and talent to beat the South Asian country. However, the Nationals should resist showboating and complacency and finish off their opponent right away - you know develop the killer instinct. Yes, they can win! Believe...Powerade Team Pilipinas will get into the second round and get back at Taiwan, and Uzbekistan / Kuwait.

Hey, Willie Miller, you must show leadership again and rally your squad. I see you leading the troops back in Jones Cup. Please do it again. Motivate them and please knock some sense to those who deserve it. Powerade Team Pilipinas fans are counting on your ability to lead the team. There's no leader in the team but you.

Please watch your team's defensive intensity in the second quarter against Japan in the Jones Cup - that's how Powerade Team Pilipinas built a 19-point lead. Do it again. Replicate it and I can assure you many teams will rattle at that kind of defense. As they say if you can't score don't let your opponent score too.

Will Team Pilipinas rise up to the challenge despite the injuries, lack of point guard, short preparation time, poor shooting, poor defense etc?

Hopefully they could at least reach the quarterfinals! Coach Yeng is lucky with the draw. Why? Only a win will take them to the second round! The ills mentioned are self-inflicted. For this matter, blame the Philippine Basketball Association who knew beforehand the schedule but didn't make enough allowance for training. Man, even Manny Pacquiao trains two months before a BIG FIGHT and never stops learning. There are many excellent point guards here as I've said before - there's no excuse for the lack of a court general. Poor shooting and poor defense SHOULDN'T BE a problem after all our players are PROFESSIONALS but it still is.

Lowered Expectations

The expectations, so high before we went to the Jones Cup, are leveling off, I think,” Guiao told the Philippine Star. “Nakita kasi ng mga Filipino kung gaano talaga kalalaki at kalalakas ng mga kalaban natin. Nakabawas din yong ng pressure sa ‘ting mga players na mag-deliver.”

It's just a basketball game. Win or lose these players will still be millionaires - what pressure?

Pressure? You want to know pressure?
  1. A young graduate in a job interview competing with 123 people for a single job
  2. OFW stuck in Kish island without work
  3. A recently laid-off worker with a family to feed
Compared to them what Powerade Team Pilipinas is going through is heaven. Qualify or not, their lives are OK. That's the reason why Manny Pacquiao smiles every time he fights. Compared to what he's gone through, his boxing matches are just child's play. For once will a PBA-powered national team stop this whining about pressure. In fact repeated failures in international competitions have never damaged the PBA irrevocably too. Fans still come in large number. Yes, the ratings dipped but there's still enough fans to sustain the league for Filipinos love their basketball. In China, football fans rallied on the street after another disappointing World Cup campaign. Did that happen here? If I'm not mistaken, angry Chinese fans let their feelings known to Yao Ming after China's defeat at the 2002 Busan Asian Games to Korea. The Philippine Basketball Association players are lucky Filipino fans are still logical - even in the bitterest defeat.

"Pressure is something that goes in tires." Charles Barkley

The NBA talks a lot about bringing back something to the community and representing their country is one of them. The NBA will continue to support their national team our PBA won't -- as if this country has a very big pool of talented basketball players.

The NCC setup worked because of the three reinforcements - Dennis Still, Jeff Moore, and Chip Engelland and weak competition back then. Now, a team is allowed one naturalized player and our Asian competitors also have huge talent pool to choose from (their youth teams and professional leagues). Without the PBA, SBP is limited to collegiate players and pros from other leagues (not in the same quality as the PBA). Most of the best players in the country are still in the Philippine Basketball Association. Our national team is self-handicapped.



















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