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FIBA: Gilas bracing for all-pro Thailand team in Asia Cup qualifiers

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/tvpatrol/11/23/fiba.jpg"/><figcaption>Thailand is expected to field an all-pro team in the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers.<em> FIBA.basketball</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA, Philippines -- A youthful Philippine side will be challenged in the upcoming window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers, when they take on a Thailand squad that is composed of professional players.</p><p>The final schedule of games for the window has yet to be revealed, but what&#x27;s certain is that the Philippines will play Thailand twice. As of posting, Gilas Pilipinas plays Thailand on November 27 and again on November 30.</p><p>It will be a difficult assignment for the young Filipino players, some of whom are playing at the international level for the first time.</p><p>&quot;We have video, we have an understanding of their basic systems. Obviously, things can change, but we feel like we have a reasonable idea of their personnel, and we have some expectations of the types of systems that they play,&quot; Gilas Pilipinas program director Tab Baldwin said of Thailand.</p><p>Jong Uichico, who will call the shots for Gilas in this window, said Thailand&#x27;s biggest advantage over the Philippines is their chemistry and familiarity.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/11/19/20/fiba-uichico-to-call-shots-for-young-gilas-squad-in-bahrain-bubble">READ: Uichico to call shots for young Gilas squad in Bahrain bubble</a></li></ul><p>The Thailand national team is used to playing together, having done so in several tournaments already -- including the 2019 Southeast Asian Games where they placed second to the Philippines. They also have an established go-to guy in Tyler Lamb, who scored 28 points in 93-86 loss to South Korea in the first qualifying window in February.</p><p>&quot;Ang mahirap lang naman sa Thailand, compared to our Gilas team that is going, mas matagal silang naglaro ng together. Because club team sila eh, they are a club team,&quot; Uichico said during a recent appearance on &quot;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/160924323945465/videos/791727891610835">Power and Play</a>.&quot;</p><p>&quot;They&#x27;ve been together for so long, and through these years, nagi-improve sila. They are a very cohesive unit,&quot; he added.</p><p>In contrast, the Gilas team that will compete in the bubble in Manama, Bahrain is composed of young, mostly inexperienced players. Only four members of the group -- Juan Gomez de Liano, Isaac Go, Dwight Ramos, and Matt Nieto -- saw action in the first window.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/11/22/20/fiba-young-vets-go-nieto-ready-for-leadership-roles-in-gilas">READ: Young vets Go, Nieto ready for leadership roles in Gilas</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/11/22/20/fiba-dwight-ramos-expected-to-play-a-big-role-for-gilas-in-bahrain-bubble">READ: Dwight Ramos expected to play a big role for Gilas in Bahrain bubble</a></li></ul><p>Some members of the team have represented the Philippines in the youth level, but as a team, they have yet to play together. These are just some of the factors that the coaching staff kept in mind during their brief training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna last week.</p><p>&quot;Most of our attention has been on developing chemistry, introducing elemental concepts of international basketball, focusing on what we expect to see from Thailand,&quot; said Baldwin.</p><p>&quot;Kailangan talaga, double-time tayo,&quot; Uichico said, for his part. &quot;Kailangan, makuha ng player lahat ng ipapasok natin ngayon, so that they&#x27;ll be ready enough to play our game against Thailand.&quot;</p><p>The national team is already in Bahrain, where the players and coaching staff are expected to quarantine in their hotel until they receive the results of their COVID-19 tests.</p><p>From there, they will still have a few days to work on their chemistry and familiarity before plunging into action on Friday.</p><p>&quot;We might lack experience, yes we might lack some size. But the energy that they will give us will be a positive, or an advantage that we can use in our games,&quot; Uichico said of the team. &quot;Being young, energetic, lots of intensity, and you know, hopefully this aspect that the young players will give us in these coming games will give us a win.&quot;</p><p>The Philippines has a 1-0 record in Group A of the qualifiers, thanks to a 100-70 victory over Indonesia in February.</p><div><strong>Related video:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kuKL9HpyHF4?enablejsapi=1"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>A youthful Philippine side will be challenged in the upcoming window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers, when they take on a Thailand squad that is composed of professional players.</p>

A youthful Philippine side will be challenged in the upcoming window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers, when they take on a Thailand squad that is composed of professional players.

FIBA: Gilas bracing for all-pro Thailand team in Asia Cup qualifiers

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FIBA: Gilas bracing for all-pro Thailand team in Asia Cup qualifiers

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 23, 2020 06:23 PM PHT

Read More:

FIBA

FIBA Asia Cup 2021

FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers

Gilas Pilipinas

Thailand

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