It's been almost three months since the last meaningful FIBA games. Luckily, the second window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers is fast approaching. Gilas Pilipinas hopes to remain undefeated as they continue their quest to secure a slot in China next year.
If you're a basketball fan who needs a refresher course before watching the games or just someone who wants to be the point person for anything Gilas and World Cup Qualifiers-related stuff, here's everything you need to know.
Who's leading what group?
In Group A, China is the only undefeated team with a 2-0 record after beating Hong Kong and Korea in the first window. New Zealand and Korea are tied at 1-1, while Hong Kong has yet to win a game in the qualifiers at 0-2. Meanwhile, the Philippines and Australia both hold a 2-0 slate after the first window in Group B. The two teams defeated Chinese Taipei and Japan, who both are tied at 0-2. But Japan holds the advantage over Chinese Taipei because of the quotient system.
Standings before window 2 of the @FIBAWC Asian Qualifiers pic.twitter.com/MV5edrFf22
— JC Ansis (@jcansis) February 15, 2018
Jordan is currently at the top of Group C, winning its games against Syria and Lebanon in the first window. Lebanon and Syria are tied at 1-1, while India ranks fourth at 0-2. Wins over Qatar and Iraq put Kazakhstan in first place of Group D. Iran and Iraq are knotted in the middle at 1-1, while Qatar is currently at the bottom with two losses.
How did Gilas do in the first window?
Gilas is tied with Australia at the top of the Group B standings with a 2-0 record. The Philippine team beat Japan in Tokyo and Chinese Taipei here in Manila behind the all-around performances of Jayson Castro.
Against Japan, Castro registered 20 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while shooting 7-of-13 from the floor, including three makes from beyond the arc. Three days later he dropped 20 points - this time going 7-of-12 from the field - for the second game in a row, to go along with four rebounds and four assists.
The guy who everyone expected to post huge numbers but underperformed was Andray Blatche. The naturalized Filipino was far from his usual Gilas self and only averaged 9.5 points in the first window. He shot terribly, making just 6-of-20 attempts, and turned the ball over 12 times in those two games. Fortunately, guys like Matthew Wright and June Mar Fajardo were there to pick up the slack.
Who will play for Gilas in the second window?
Gilas coach Chot Reyes recently announced the 12-man lineup he'll use in Melbourne. Part of the roster for the Australia game are Kiefer Ravena, Kevin Alas, Roger Pogoy, Matthew Wright, Allein Maliksi, Calvin Abueva, Gabe Norwood, Carl Bryan Cruz, Japeth Aguilar, Abu Tratter, June Mar Fajardo and Andray Blatche.
Abueva, despite Reyes saying earlier that he wouldn't see action in the second window, and Tratter, the sole member from the "23 for 2023" pool, made the cut. Notably absent from the lineup are Jayson Castro and Jio Jalalon, who are nursing injuries. The lineup, however, for Japan is an entirely different story.
What are Gilas' chances against Australia?
It's no secret that Australia is one of the most potent teams in the Asian qualifiers. Ranked 10th in the world (first in this region), Australia is 2-0 in Group B, just like the Philippines. Though its roster has no NBA players, all of the players who are set to see action in the second window are playing in the National Basketball League.
Leading the charge for the Australians are Daniel Kickert (18.5 points, 3.5 3PM, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists) and Mitch Creek (13.8 points, 5.8 boards, 1.5 steals) who had solid performances in the first window against Chinese Taipei and Japan. Also part of the lineup are Kevin Lisch, a two-time NBL MVP, and Jesse Wagstaff, a 4-time NBL champion.
Australia is undoubtedly a tough matchup for Gilas because they're simply stronger and taller and have beaten their first two opponents by an average margin of 31 points. Plus the game will be played on their home turf at the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne. Gilas, which hasn't played a team as big as the Boomers since the 2014 World Cup, wasn't able to play any meaningful tune-up games to prepare for Australia.
How about against Japan?
If you saw the first matchup between Gilas and Japan, you could tell the Philippines had first game jitters and was still trying to get acclimated. Gilas blew a double-digit lead in the fourth period and barely escaped a scrappy Japanese national team. Makoto Heijima led the Akatsuki Five with 20 points, five rebounds, and five assists, while Ira Brown -- despite a bad shooting night -- finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds.
For the second window, however, Japan added more weapons and are motivated, not only to get their first win of the qualifiers and to avenge the opening loss to Gilas. Most of the Akatsuki Five's roster from the first window will be carried over into the second, plus Yuta Tabuse, whose veteran smarts will help Japan a great deal, and Hyu Watanabe, who'll add more size and length. The lineup changes and the motivation could help Japan provide Gilas a stiffer challenge this time.
Blatche, however, is in markedly better shape than November and has practiced with the team more times than he did for the first window. Also a factor is Jayson Castro (if healthy) who can string together baskets faster than the Shinkansen.
What's at stake?
The point of these games is to qualify for the FIBA World Cup in China next year. A total of 16 teams are currently competing in the Asian qualifiers but only seven will get the chance to play in the tournament.
When the first round (windows 1-3) concludes, only 12 teams (the top 3 of each group) will advance to the second round of the Asian Qualifiers. From there, teams will again undergo three windows which will run from September 2018 to February 2019. The seven best teams after that will book a ticket to the FIBA World Cup and play against 25 other nations who have qualified in their respective regions.
Where can I watch the Gilas games?
If you won't be able to go to Melbourne for the Australia game or luck out on tickets for the home game against Japan, don't fret, ESPN5's got you covered.
The Gilas-Australia game will be 4:30 p.m. local on February 22, and the Gilas-Japan matchup -- which will be played at the MOA Arena -- at 7:30 p.m. on February 25.
Both games will be broadcasted live on ESPN5 and will also be available via livestream on ESPN5.com.