Friday, July 30, 2010

Jones Cup 2010

I just want to take this opportunity to thank all those who greeted me for my birthday either through this blog or through my twitter. I was in Taipei over my birthday for the Jones Cup for almost two weeks and did not have internet access there. Actually, we did have internet, just felt that $10 USD per 24 hours of use was not worth it.

To those who are not updated, Team Pilipinas finished 4th place in the Jones Cup behind Iran, Lebanon & Japan. We placed higher than Chinese Taipei, Chinese Taipei team B and Australian Crocs team. I felt we could have finished 2nd or 3rd but had a disastrous game against Japan, who played with former Phoenix Suns point guard Tabusen. They scouted us well and fatigue kicked in. We also weren't able to adjust to their defense and intensity right away. Although I am personally disappointed with our result, and i'm sure quite a number of Filipinos feel the same way, i felt we showed that we could compete against the powerhouses of Asia particularly Iran and Lebanon.

The Iranian national team played without Hedadi and Afagh but their superstar Samad Nikkah Bahrami took over w/ 27 pts, 8 rebs and 8 assts. The Lebanon national team was complete (plus naturalized Jackson Vroman) and had a very balanced lineup, except for Fadi El Khatib, who said himself that he will not play for the national team. We were up by as much as 15 points until their shooters started to get hot.

Overall, i believe the Jones Cup was a very fruitful experience for both coaches and players and it allowed us to gauge our level and the standards of the opposing teams. For now, we just have to continue to work extremely hard (and smart), gain more experience (through competitions) and plug the holes in the lineup that will best suit coach Rajko's system.

Thanks again to all those who've been supporting us, through both rainy days and sunny days! And please continue to pray for the team (the players, coaches, management, etc.) for strength, wisdom, courage, inspiration and a little luck! So that we may rightfully represent our beloved flag and make each Filipino proud to be Filipino through our performance on the court and even our behavior off the court. I know its a long shot, but someone's gotta believe.... and try!

Chris

P.S. Still no word if we're participating in the Stankovic Cup this August 7 in Beirut, Lebanon. Greg Slaughter and Rabeh Al Hussaini can't afford to miss class, while Chris Lutz and Marcus Douthit still don't have Filipino passports. Still weighing the sanctions if we back out. FYI, we are in the same bracket with Lebanon, Qatar, Jordan and Syria! Other bracket is Iran team B, India, Japan, Chinese Taipei and one more (which i forget at the moment). How lucky can we get.

12 comments:

Christine said...

Congrats! Yes I think 2nd or 3rd places are good but 4th place is not bad. Good job! and about your birthday!! Belated happy birthday!!! Sorry late greetings, been busy for a while..happy bday again! :D

Anonymous said...

thank you for the pride youre giving to all the Filipinos!youre my idol talaga!youre in my prayers!keep up the good work..i really want to inspire everyone as you inspire me!Godbless! :-)JoDi

Anonymous said...

hello chris!Congratulations! thank you always for giving pride to all Filipinos!youre my idol talaga..youre in my prayers..i want to inspire everyone as you inspire me!godless always and keep up the good work! :)

erica said...

i just hope you guys get more endorsements and exposure to cultivate support here in the phils. let's admit it, a lot of Filipinos are still skeptical of you guys. so maybe more commercials (ala Most Valuable Prend) would encourage people to follow and support smart-gilas.

Kali said...

don't be disheartened Chris. we really believe in Smart Gilas and we will support the team all the way. we can't say that we're not a bit disappointed with the result of the jones cup--we are-- but only because we know that the team could have done better. there's so much more room for improvement... you guys are so young and so is the team. keep up the discipline and just have faith. never lose heart. we'll continue to pray for the team. :)

badlongon said...

wow! Go Team Pilipinas! The entire nation is behind you all the way!ΓΌ

P-chy (crazypeach) said...

Add me to the believers! And I know there are a lot of us out there!

I truly believe that you'll win it when it really matters. Everything now is just a test, the top prize is still waiting. Everything you've experienced will help you on the way to get the top prize for the nation!

Good luck and God bless!

Don Opalla said...

i think the smart gilas project is not necessarily about winning. Its about hope - the hope of redeeming lost pride. Smart Gilas team has proven that it can give a scare to any team it faces. SG had almost beaten Iran NT. SG had almost beaten Lebanon NT. SG had beaten Jordan and other ME teams. SG had even beaten teams in the US and had even beaten a team in Serbia. The greatest legacy of the Smart Gilas Project would be hope. With the right system, training and discipline, the Philippines will be on top of the basketball world again! Don't lose hope Chris, be the source of Hope!!!

sherilyn said...

hi chris,

Congratulations though...4th place is not that bad...

of course we believe in you guys...
stand for our flag and keep it going...

jonx said...

hi chris!belated silver birthdaysarry!(haha,maiba lng ng bati)(=
well,4th place was somewhat an accomplishment for SG..ok n un kesa last db?well the point is,you didn't easily give up..that's the key to that..
as you said,it's a fruitful experience from the coaching staff up to you,the players so it's something that you should be proud of..competing internationally was not an easy task..unang kalaban jan jet lag,then the kind of players and the type of game that you will face on the tournament..
just keep on believing because we,you're fans,we always keep the faith in the system of SG as well as with the players..(=

**ang cute ng TVC nyong 4 s greenwich..kampay!(=

Anonymous said...

belated happy birthday chris!
just take care and God bless!
looking forward more stories from you.
-Janine N.

Erine said...

Wow, the team already qualified in the Stankovic cup!!!


Keep the good vibes flowing Chris..