RAJKO EXPECTS GILAS TO BE COMPETITIVE IN OQT, BUT FIRES WARNING

THOUGH he sees a very competitive Gilas Pilipinas team, Rajko Toroman thinks it will still be a daunting task for the national team to hurdle European squads Latvia and Georgia in FIBA’s final qualifier for the Paris Olympics.

The former Gilas Pilipinas coach sees the high level that the Nationals showed in friendlies against Turkey and Poland as an encouraging sign ahead of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia beginning on Thursday.

But Toroman warned that the reality is that Latvia and Georgia, or most European teams for that matter, are tough to play under such an environment where they will be vying for the final slots in the Olympic Games.

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The Serbian coach said the mere fact that Latvia hosted the OQT is proof of its determination to qualify for the Olympics after finishing fififth in last year’s FIBA Basketball World Cup - not enough for a direct qualification to Paris.

"I think that Gilas showed in the two friendly games that they are really competitive," said Toroman in an interview with reporters during the Strong Group Athletics-Pilipinas media day on Tuesday. "If you lose [a close game] to Turkey with a lot of Euroleague players, that means that you are good."

PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

"Second game against Poland with one NBA player, [Jeremy] Sochan from San Antonio, is showing that they can be very competitive with European team," said Toroman.

"But Latvia organized this tournament because they want to go to the Olympic Games. Otherwise, they will not give to FIBA one or two million (hosting expenses), I don’t know how much is the participation for the qualifier. They show here in the World Cup that they are very, very strong with a very good coach, Luca Banchi. It will be very, very tough," he added.

Gilas earned a spot in the OQT following a 24th-place finish the 2023 FIBA World Cup. It could've qualified for the Paris Games if it ended up as the best-placed Asian team in the tournament - a free ride that went to 19th-placer Japan.

Toroman said it will already be a respectable showing if Gilas can make its games against the two European teams in the group stage competitive, which he thinks is possible with the way the team is playing under coach Tim Cone.

"The chances are not so big but still, you know that they have a chance. For me, these two games can give you hope that they can do something. But I don’t think that everybody can expect some miracles from Gilas because the competition is so, so tough."

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Toroman said Gilas’ performance in the friendly matches is a step in the right direction, noting the high level of play of Justin Brownlee in the two games as well as the cohesion the team has shown under Cone.

"I was talking about the chemistry and the system. I think Brownlee made a lot of positive things in the team. And they are now looking better than before," said Toroman.

"I think if they can be competitive with European teams, that will be enough. Because for me, it’s easier to qualify for the Olympic Games during the World Cup like Japan than in this competition.

"A lot of European teams didn’t qualify for the Olympic Games. I think the European teams are the favorites to go to the Olympic Games," said Toroman.

2024-07-02T14:18:44Z dg43tfdfdgfd