GILAS Pilipinas leaves for Spain on August 4 to play a series of tune-up games three weeks before the FIBA World Cup unfurls in China.
Coach Yeng Guiao bared the national team will be departing for Spain on August 4 and stay there for more than a week to play exhibition matches with some countries also bound for the world meet.
Guiao didn’t mention the teams Gilas Pilipinas will be going to play except the Spanish national team.
“I think that’s a good tune-up for us. Yung Spain I think they have seven or eight NBA players and all of them would be there,” said the national coach.
Fiba World Cup champion in 2006, world no. 2 ranked Spain would have the likes of Marc Gasol, Ricky Rubio, Serge Ibaka, Pau Gasol, Rudy Fernandez, Nikola Mirotic, among others, in the team for the August 31 to July 15 tournament.
“Medyo mapagbigyan natin yung Spain, hindi namin masyadong tatambakan,” Guiao said in jest.
“Pero magandang experience yun para sa amin.”
There will also be some African countries the Philippine team will be playing in anticipation for its Group D match-up with Angola.
“That would also be a good tune-up for us kasi medyo mapapag-handaan natin yung Angola,” added Guiao.
Aside from Angola, also bracketed with Gilas Pilipinas in the same group are world no. 4 Serbia and Italy.
Upon returning to the country, the team will practice for two more weeks and then leave for China on the 27th.
“When we comeback, we will reset and see how we can still make adjustments or improve based on the tune-up games we had,” added Guiao.
Gilas Pilipinas will have its first game in the world meet on the 31st against Italy, followed by Serbia on Sept. 2 and Angola on Sept. 4.
“Agahan na rin namin ang punta sa China. I’m not sure if we can still get scrimmages in China. If we can, we will. If not, we’ll just practice by ourselves,” said Guiao.
The national team will have its first official twice-a-week practice on Monday and Thursday, which Guiao hopes to schedule on a daily basis by August.
While training may be a little bit crammed, Guiao said it’s the best possible schedule the team can have given the PBA calendar.
“I think this is the best plan na para mapagkasya yun practice days at tsaka hindi namin masyadong magulo yung schedule ng PBA,” said the national coach, who also handles NLEX.