June Mar Fajardo and Gilas Pilipinas are quick studying how you can take care of bigs who can shoot from the skin. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/ELVIS ŽALDARIS

When the lone naturalized participant’s spot in its roster doubtless boiling right down to both Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson or Barangay Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee, Gilas Pilipinas confirmed that it was turning a web page in its playbook.

Gone had been the times when the quick candidate for a naturalized participant could be an enormous man to assist the Philippines take care of ceiling issues.

That meant native bigs can have greater roles. And coach Chot Reyes is getting a transparent take a look at what must be achieved — particularly with crucial large man in his pool.

“This was all a part of the method,” Reyes mentioned of Gilas Pilipinas’ loss to a Lithuania choice squad, 90-80, in a tuneup match on Tuesday in Kaunas, Lithuania.

“We wished to play a crew who has 5 shooters as a result of we wished to see how we may get June Mar [Fajardo] defending ball screens, decide and pops in opposition to shooters. June Mar had 10 factors within the first half and his man had 20 factors, it’s one thing we have to work on,” Reyes added.

Fajardo, who scored 13 factors within the sport, is a six-time Most Priceless Participant within the Philippine Basketball Affiliation (PBA) and is the league’s most dominant native participant. However in the way in which basketball is performed these days exterior the PBA, Fajardo looks like an anachronism, a throwback to the times of submit heavy hoops.

Discovering stability

And Reyes hopes to assist the San Miguel Beer star adapt — and discover methods for the crew to assist out.

“It’s now as much as us to return into observe and determine methods to defend when we’ve a state of affairs like that when there’s a three-point capturing exterior large man on the opposing crew. These are the issues we wished to study. We knew that that is the sort of participant that we had been going to face, that June Mar goes to face. It’s not solely June Mar, it needs to be everybody serving to out and rotating to cease that,” Reyes mentioned.

Lithuania ahead Tomas Zdanavicius erupted for 25 factors, together with a six-of-seven three-point capturing, to steer the eight-man choice of the host nation.

After shedding three of their 5 tuneup video games, Reyes has an concept of what must be achieved because the nationwide crew prepares for the Fiba (Worldwide Basketball Federation) World Cup that the Philippines will cohost with Japan and Indonesia.

“We’ve got to search out that stability the place we’re scoring properly and defending properly. A part of the method. Clearly, we’re not proud of the consequence however I’m very glad with the training and the teachings that we proceed to choose up,” he mentioned.

Tinker with lineup

“Initially, we had some beauty that weren’t falling. That’s why they had been in a position to get an early run. But additionally this crew didn’t actually stress exhausting on passing lanes. They defended another way, which can also be one of many issues that we have to discover ways to assault groups that defend this manner. Offense wasn’t our drawback on this ball sport, it was actually protection.”

Reyes had an opportunity to tinker along with his lineup, particularly up entrance, the place there’s a extra urgent want for an upgraded efficiency. He used a distinct mixture for some time with Japeth Aguilar at energy ahead and Brownlee at small ahead as heart Ange Kouame joined the crew after his commencement at Ateneo.

However he believes that this type of consequence will solely make his crew higher.

Gilas schedule

“Clearly, it didn’t work as a result of we bought off to, what, 17-1 begin. However the good factor is that’s a part of why we’re right here to determine completely different mixtures, completely different lineups and to know that there’s no nothing extra highly effective information than expertise,” he mentioned. “So now that we’ve that first-hand expertise the gamers ought to now all know higher. That’s a part of the training course of and the teachings that we got here right here to study.”

Gilas Pilipinas will open its marketing campaign in opposition to Angola on Aug. 25 at Philippine Area and it’s slated in Group A with Dominican Republic and Italy.

Vytautas Sulskis was additionally instrumental for Lithuania with 19 factors and 9 rebounds. Justinas Ramanauskas scored 12 factors and dished out 9 assists, whereas Rokas Pocius added 10 markers and 9 boards.

Brownlee had 20 factors and 7 rebounds whereas Jamie Malonzo added 14 factors, 9 rebounds and 6 steals. Kiefer Ravena had 10 factors and 4 assists.

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