Scouting Report: Thailand

Moniker: War Elephants

Qualification: Beat Singapore and Malaysia in the 2013 SEABA Tournament to qualify.

Last FIBA Asia Appearance: 2001 – 1 win & 5 losses – Beat Singapore, but lost to China, Qatar, Hong Kong, Kuwait, and UAE.

Roster:

Name, Age, Height, Position

Darongpan Apiromvilaichai, 28, 6’1″, Guard

Danai Kongkum, 28, 6’3″, Forward

Anasawee Klaewnarong, 20, 6’5″, Center

Kannawat Lertlaokul, 26, 5’8″, Guard

Attaport Lertmalaiporn, 30, 6’4″, Forward/Center

Wutipong Dasom, 22, 6’5″, Forward/Center

Darunpong Apiromvilaichai, 28, 6’1″, Guard

Kannut Samerjai, 25, 5’11″, Guard

Sukhdave Ghogar, 23, 6’5″, Center

Wacharapong Tongsri, 28, 5’10″, Guard

Chanachon Klahan, 29, 6’2″, Forward

 

Key Players:

1. Wutipong Dasom – This young forward is probably the most promising player to come out of Thailand in recent memory. He’s certainly the most athletic, and he showed this when he competed in the 2013 ASEAN Basketball League Slam Dunk Contest. He didn’t win, of course, and his team, the Sports Rev Thailand Slammers, were eliminated in the semifinals of the ABL Playoffs, but he certainly made quite an impression by the year’s end. He has a pretty balanced skill set, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he leads the War Elephants in scoring in the FIBA Asia Tournament.

2. Sukhdave Ghogar – The last time Ghogar played against a Philippine NT was way back in the 2011 SEA Games. At that time, he faced 7-foot Greg Slaughter in the paint. This time around, things aren’t going to be any easier as he is set to face the giants of India, CJ Giles of Bahrain, and Anton Ponomarev of Kazakhstan. Though Ghogar will probably be bullied down low, he should gain a lot of experience that he can use for future battles.

 

Point of Interest:

Low Expectations – Despite being in the consensus lightest group, the Thais aren’t expected to make a lot of noise. With Kazakhstan and Bahrain both being reinforced by naturalized players and India steadily improving, the Thais are bound to get bounced early.

Tournament Outlook:

It will be a big shock if Thailand beats any of the other Group D teams, let alone advance to the next round. By all intents and purposes, this team will get eliminated and might even fall all the way to last place overall. – Rappler.com