FIBA Asia: Gilas has to be ready for physical Qatar

MANILA, Philippines – Facing an entirely different kind of opponent right after a huge victory, Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes is hoping he makes the right adjustment when they push on their quest for a slot to the FIBA World Cup next year.

The Philippines battles a stronger and more athletic Qatar side on Tuesday night, August 6, with the home team trying to make it two-in-a-row and solidify their position as the quarterfinals loom. 

“We have to switch our thinking back to a different style altogether. Big, bruising, physical basketball – that’s Qatar,” Reyes said shortly after a huge bounce-back win against Japan in their first Round 2 game.

Anchored on former NBA wingman Jarvis Hayes, Qatar has been perfect in the tournament so far and has beaten their first 3 opponents by an average of 12.7 points.

“It’s a tough game against Qatar. I hope we could get momentum from this win (against Japan),” Reyes said. “There’s a reason why they are still unbeaten.”

And that reason the Philippine coach was saying can be found on Qatar’s stat sheets.

Stifling defense

When Qatar demolished Hong Kong, they shot better from the inside and out: 31/70 (44.3%) from the 2-point territory as to Hong Kong’s 26/67 (38.8%) and 15/40 (37.5%) from the outside compared to Hong Kong’s 9/28 (32.1%).

Against Jordan, they also outscored their opposition from the inside at 28/65 (43.1%) compared to Jordan’s 22/62 (35.5%). 

It was a tricky affair with Japan, though, as the East Asians won the battle down low (27 FGs to QAT’s 24) but the Qataris made the difference from afar scoring 30 points from threes compared to Japan’s 21.

Beyond the boxscores and stats, however, are Qatar’s hustle and physicality that have become their trademark. Compared to teams like Korea, Japan and Chinese Taipei, Qatar plays a totally different brand of basketball.

Qatar’s NBA-caliber star 

But what makes Qatar extra dangerous is that one man in their lineup: Hayes.

To give you an idea of Hayes’ quality, he was drafted 10th overall 10 years ago by the Washington Wizards in the same year when LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Carmelo Anthony entered the league. To be drafted together with those players is already a big statement.

In the first three games of the tournament for Qatar so far, he has topscored for Qatar in every match and averages 20 points per ballgame.

Fortunately for Reyes, he has players like Marc Pingris and Gabe Norwood who can try to contain the former NBA first-round pick. If the Philippines can show the same heart and same attitude they displayed against Japan, then we could be taking this one home convincingly. – Rappler.com