After numerous changes to the Gilas pool, we finally saw the latest iteration of Gilas Pilipinas on the court last night. And while the final score of 100-70 looks like Team Pilipinas demolished Indonesia, it certainly wasn’t the case (for the first three quarters, at least).
We do realize that the Gilas program is (yet again) a work in progress and the first game with a new core of young players is not necessarily the best gauge as to how the team will perform in the long run. But given what we saw from last night, here are our grades for this new-look Gilas.
TEAM
Offense: C+

The final score might show a blowout, but the match wasn't without its wrinkles three-fourths of the way. Gilas Pilipinas struggled offensively during huge chunks of the game and shot just 37% from behind the arc and 73% on free throws. For a team that sorely lacked knockdown shooters, this was to be expected and should be addressed. Aside from the iffy long range shooting, our big men couldn’t get going from the inside either. Tratter and Erram scored five apiece, Justin Chua had six, Troy Rosario had seven, and Isaac Go, the first overall pick of the PBA special draft, was held scoreless for the entire game. That'll post problems for a Team Pilipinas powered by this big men corps moving forward, especially when goes up against bigger teams like South Korea who will make it tougher for our guards to handle the scoring load.
Defense: A

If Gilas’ offense left a lot to be desired, they more than made up for it on the other end of the court. Nabbing a total of 15 steals and three blocks, the Filipinos were active on defense, deftly covering passing lanes and providing solid help defense that led to easy transition baskets. Kiefer Ravena and CJ Perez both kept active and nabbed four steals each to help keep the Indonesians at bay throughout the first three quarters. Gilas also held Indonesia to a measly 36% FG shooting clip, which helped to keep us afloat until that huge 12-0 run in the 4th quarter.
Rebounding: B

The Philippine team outrebounded Indonesia by 22, which was a good sign considering we sent out a shorter team than usual. But we can’t help but be a bit apprehensive as most of our rebounds came from guys like Thirdy, RR Pogoy, and CJ Perez. While it’s certainly a big plus to have rebounding guards and small forwards in the lineup, our big men need to do a better job helping out on the boards, especially when we start facing taller foes.
Chemistry: B+

It was an absolute treat watching our players rack up 23 assists and play like they’ve been together for a long time. This is proof that there was indeed wisdom in Tab Baldwin’s mostly Atenean selection and selecting for fit over individual talent. We know they’re going to jell better once they get more games under their belt so we’re still giving them room to grow.
Potential: B+

Seeing Thirdy Ravena, CJ Perez, Dwight Ramos, and even Juan Gomez de Liano do their thing on the court gave us a lot of hope for the future of the Gilas program. The quartet played with a level of maturity you rarely expect from young players. The only thing stopping us from giving the team an A is the apparent lack of a Junemar Fajardo (or even Japeth Aguilar) successor. We still think Isaac Go can be a solid contributor moving forward, but we just didn’t see that in yesterday’s game.
Coaching: A

This coaching staff might not be permanent yet but we wouldn’t complain if this group stayed on for the long haul. Program director Tab Baldwin has a proven track record of player development and both him and interim head coach Mark Dickel have international coaching experience which is necessary in building a solid national team program. In their first game at the helm of the squad, we liked what we saw with players being constantly put in good positions to score and defend. We’re excited to see what they can do when all our best players are healthy and able to play.
INDIVIDUAL
Thirdy Ravena: A+

What more can you ask for from Thirdy? His numbers (23 points, eight rebounds, three assists, and two blocks) are simply not a stat line you expect from a fresh college graduate. It also seems like he has been working on his three-point shooting, making three of his four attempts from downtown. If he continues to show range and improves his free throw percentage, Thirdy can easily be our best player for years.
Kiefer Ravena: B+

Kiefer is someone you can always count on to contribute to the team in one way or another. His offense was subpar against Indonesia (10 points on only 33% shooting with three assists and three turnovers) but we applauded his activity on the defensive end which resulted in a team-high four steals. On a night when defense was the singlemost important part of Gilas’ game, that’s enough to give Kiefer an above average score. The Phenom is still a very solid player and should be better in the next few games.
Poy Erram: D

Poy Erram is supposed to be the best center in the team now so we really can’t excuse his dismal five points on 28% FG shooting and two rebounds (only Kiefer and JGDL had less rebounds than him). He didn’t fare that well on defense either, recording zero blocks (though he did get two steals) in his 18 minutes on the court. That left him with one of the lowest +/- ratings in the game and the worst player efficiency among all players (tied with Isaac Go).
Isaac Go: C

This was definitely a tough game for the rookie big man. He missed all five of his shots though he did grab seven rebounds. It was not how the first pick of the Gilas special draft should have played. Still, we’re not failing him for now since this was his first game wearing the Gilas jersey but he definitely has to be better the next time around.
Juan Gomez de Liano: B

JGDL can definitely score. He’s a great option off the bench and provided an offensive punch for the secondary unit. Gomez de Liano could work on his long range output a bit more to help approximate the production of a Marcio Lassiter or a Matthew Wright but he should be a solid part of our guard rotation moving forward.
Roger Pogoy: A

There’s a good reason why Pogoy has been a Gilas staple for years now. And last night, his veteran presence was certainly felt after compiling a line of 16 points, six rebounds, two assists, and a steal. There’s really not much to say here except that Pogoy has been one of the steadiest hands for Gilas and continues to be effective for the team.
Troy Rosario: C-

We were very optimistic for Troy Rosario heading into the Indonesia game because of his familiarity with Coach Dickel and the lack of competition in our big man rotation. But Rosario did not capitalize on this great opportunity with a mediocre stat line of seven points (only 33% shooting), five rebounds, two assists and a steal. It’s not necessarily bad, but we know he can do a whole lot better. It still doesn’t seem to be consistently clicking for Rosario in international competitions and we’re starting to doubt if he’ll ever make it work.
Dwight Ramos: B

For a guy still in college, we honestly did not expect much from Dwight Ramos. But he gave Gilas 16 productive minutes against Indonesia and played with maturity that is beyond his years. He showed us a little bit of everything and we’re now fully behind his inclusion in all future Gilas rosters. On a completely unrelated note, an Ateneo five-peat run is looking pretty good.
CJ Perez: A

CJ Perez was arguably the most active Gilas player last night. His 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and four steals was the most well-rounded stat line for any Gilas player, resulting in the second highest player efficiency rating of the night. He should work on controlling his fouls moving forward but we know he’s going to be one of the team’s best players for a long time.
Abu Tratter: C

You don’t really expect Abu Tratter to give you eye-popping stat lines. What you expect is for him to give the team extra possessions and do the unglamorous things that don’t really show up on the stat sheet — and that’s exactly what he did. Unfortunately, he was hampered by foul trouble but still did a decent job given his role on the team.
Justin Chua: C+

Chua was the most efficient big man we had last night. Now that’s not saying a lot given that our bigs were definitely not at their best last night. But for a late addition to the squad and someone most people counted out, Chua did more than enough.
Matt Nieto: B

Our point guard of the future is Matt Nieto and his first game with Gilas leaves us highly optimistic. His six assists and only a single turnover shows how steady he can be in terms of running the team’s offense. He still has to develop his defense and translate his shooting from the UAAP to the international game, but for now, the future looks promising for the former UAAP champ.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph