Who can beat the Philippines in SEABA Championship 2017?
MANILA (Enzo Flojo's Asia on my Mind) - With just one slot at the FIBA Asia Cup up for grabs, the SEABA Championship 2017 has never had higher stakes, but can any country defeat powerhouse Philippines?
Many expect this to be an easy romp for Gilas Pilipinas, who have won seven of the eleven editions of this tournament and have never lost a game since 1996, but with the level of competition in the ASEAN region steadily increasing and the stakes so high, all bets are off on whether the Filipinos will remain as dominant as they usually are.
Gilas Pilipinas, helmed once again by storied coach Chot Reyes, will have a huge edge both in depth and size over their opponents, but with star player Andray Blatche arriving only a couple of days ago and chemistry a bit of an issue, will their talent and height be enough to annex the crown?
The Philippines are clearly not taking anything for granted, at least in terms of their national team's composition. Whereas they have been sending cadets or amateur stars in two of the last three editions of this tournament (they missed the 2013 joust), the Philippines have chosen to send no less than a star-studded all-PBA crew to ensure they are as well represented as possible in this competition. Blatche leads the charge, of course, but alongside him are some of the brightest stars in Philippine hoops like Terrence Romeo, Calvin Abueva, three-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo and currently still Asia's Best Point Guard Jayson Castro. With tall trees Japeth Aguilar, Troy Rosario and Raymon Almazan also in tow, it looks like Gilas are head and shoulders above everyone else.
In reality, though, upsets can happen even to the most ballyhooed of squads. Gilas very nearly lost to Thailand in last year's SEABA Stankovic Cup, and teams like Indonesia and Singapore have been creeping up on the Filipinos thanks to the ASEAN Basketball League and their own professional club circuits, so the prospect of Gilas netting a loss is not as far-fetched as it once was.
So let's see how the other teams stack when it comes to matching up with Gilas.
Myanmar (no previous record in SEABA)
2017 SEABA Championship Preview: Mysterious Myanmar is our first opponent by @NoelZarate https://t.co/PoAHBtLw6u
— Sid Ventura (@Sid_Ventura) May 8, 2017
Don't be shocked if Gilas beat Myanmar to a pulp even if they don't mean to. That's just a testament to the difference in talent and basketball development between both countries. This is Myanmar's first foray in the SEABA Championship, and given their deficiency in size, experience and skill, I expect them to be winless and finish dead last. Their head coach is Malaysian Heng Ten Kok, who will probably rely on Kaung Aye a lot as he is their tallest player at 6'5. This is also the youngest team in the entire tournament as they have an average age of just 20 years old.
Vietnam's #SEABA2017 Schedule: pic.twitter.com/J4dqPNuh8b
— Viet Hoops (@viethoops) May 5, 2017
Best Finish: 4th place (2003)
2015 Edition: Did not participate.
Key Players: Trieu Han Minh, Nguyen Thanh Nhan, Tran Vu Linh
Vietnam is a fast rising basketball nation. Evidence of that is their new professional basketball league, the Vietnam Basketball Association, and their constant presence in the ABL with the Saigon Heat. Several Vietnamese-Americans have also heeded the call of the homeland, though a couple among them — Tam Dinh and Horace Nguyen — have recently pulled out from the SEABA meet. That's a tough pill to swallow for coach Donte Hill, who will have to make do with an all-local crew. I like how the game is progressing in Vietnam, and maybe in a few years they can be dark horses, but for now they'll still easily fall by the wayside.
Best Finish: Champion (2005, 1994)
2015 Edition: 2nd place.
Key Players: Choo Wei Hong, Teo Kok Hou, Ting Chun Hong.
Malaysia should have been a decent contender in this tournament had they sent their very best players. Instead, they will make do with a relatively young and raw team, and without their real head coach, Chris Thomas, who has chosen to defer to veteran tactician Goh Cheng Huat this time around. The key players for this squad should be their three ABL players — Choo Wei Hong, Teo Kok Hou and Ting Chun Hong — while a bulk of the remainder of their roster have already seen action in Manila as part of the PBA D-League's Blu Detergent squad.
Best Finish: 3rd place (2001, 2013, 2015)
2015 Edition: 3rd place.
Key Players: Delvin Goh, Wong Weilong, Leon Kwek.
Don't sleep on Singapore, who have a host of veterans in their roster — veterans who can wax hot at the drop of a hat and give even even Gilas Pilipinas some fits. Wong Weilong, Hanbin Ng and Leon Kwek are steady as hell, and they're not afraid to challenge guys much bigger than them. 2.00m Delvin Goh will be their main man in the middle, and though he has come a long way, it'll be hard to imagine him competing toe to toe against the likes of Blatche and Fajardo. Having said that, I expect Singapore to be very competitive in this tournament, though chances are they will fall short of the top three.
Best Finish: Champion (2013)
2015 Edition: Did not participate.
Key Players: Chitchai Ananti, Patiphan Klahan, Kannut Samerjai.
The Thais have maybe the most talented locals in SEABA outside of the Philippines, and we will all get to see if they are up to snuff in this tournament. The Thais have a good mix of athletes, shooters, and bigs in their roster, and head coach Tim Lewis has been known to bring out the best in his squad. This means Gilas's prospective matchup against them should elicit a lot of interest. Having said that, the Thais remain significant underdogs to the home team, and it would take nothing short of a minor miracle for them to pull the rug from under Gilas.
Best Finish: Champion (1996)
2015 Edition: 4th place.
Key Players: Mario Wuysang, Arki Wisnu, Jamarr Johnson.
Indonesia's pro league has raised the basketball bar in their country, and now they're showing up with a naturalized player in Jamarr Johnson, who may possibly prove to be a difference-maker. At just 1.96m, Johnson won't be the most imposing, but he plugs in a hole for the Indons at the 4 spot quite well. Like Thailand, this team is well-balanced in terms of size, speed, shooting, and experience, and it'll be interesting to see them try bring everything to bear against Gilas on the competition's final day. They can maybe hang with our boys if guys like Johnson and Indon-Americans Arki Wisnu and Mario Wuysang really catch fire. Otherwise, it could be over quickly.
Enzo Flojo
FIBA
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