GILAS IN FRANCE FOR TOUGH WEEKEND POCKET TOURNEY
Gilas Pilipinas has hopped over from Vitoria, Spain to Antibes, France, looking forward to play in a pocket tourney where it could get the real kind of games awaiting the team in the FIBA World Cup.
The Nationals test their mettle against fellow World Cup-bound teams France, Australia and Ukraine in the Antibes joust set Aug. 15-17.
Flying via the city of Nice, the Filipinos settled in their Antibes hotel rooms Wednesday (Thursday in Manila).
Coach Chot Reyes broke down a game video while waiting for their Iberian Air flight to France. And he was in a meeting with his staff an hour after touchdown.
Matches versus France Friday, against Australia Saturday and opposite Ukraine Sunday are in store for the Filipinos in their journey to the Mediterranean coast, host to the central training center of the French national team.
The hosts are the top favorites in the pocket tourney with their high No. 8 ranking in the world.
Minus the injury-stricken Tony Parker, alternating at the point guard spot are 6-foot-4 Antoine Diot and 6-foot-2 Thomas Heurtel.
Then there are the other French NBA players in Nicolas Batum (Portland), Nando de Colo (Toronto), Boris Diaw (San Antonio), Evan Fournier (Denver), Rudy Gobert (Utah) and Ian Mahinmi (Indiana).
The French, the FIBA Euro champs, boast an average height of 6-foot-6 and average age of 26.
The Aussies, the FIBA Oceania rulers, are even taller with an average height of 6-foot-7.
Ranked No. 9 in the world, the Aussies are bannered by Chicago Bull Cameron Bairstow, San Antonio Spur Aron Baynes, Cleveland Cavalier Matthew Dellavedova and Utah Jazz Dante Exum.
Ukraine is the lowest ranked team in this Antibes competition at its No. 45 FIBA ranking.
But coach Mike Fratello’s team surely can compete with a lineup led by Phoenix Suns’ 6-foot-11 center Viacheslav Kravtsov.
One of the major teams emerging from the division of the Soviet Union, Ukraine qualified for its first FIBA World Cup by topping Italy in the fight for sixth place in the last FIBA Euro championship. (SB)
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