Past and present coaches of the national basketball team believe that for SMART-Gilas Pilipinas, being bracketed with China in the FIBA-Asia Championship for Men in September is a good thing.
SMART-Gilas coach Rajko Toroman and former national team coaches Chot Reyes, Jong Uichico, and Tim Cone are convinced that the team is lucky to be in Group D along with China and weaker teams from the Middle East, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates.
"I think we have a good group although we have to win at least two games in the group," said Toroman, the man who steered Iran to its first Olympic basketball stint in 2008. "China is a big favorite to go on to the Olympic Games. This is the reason why it's hosting the event."
"We have to be competitive in the first few games. Maybe, it’s good that we are playing China earlier."
"Great draw for us," added Reyes, who coached the national team in Tokushima, Japan in the 2007 FIBA-Asia Championship. The coach of the Grand Slam-seeking Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association assisted Toroman in the 2010 Asiad, and will once again join the Serbian mentor in the FIBA-Asia tourney, which will be held in Wuhan, China.
"We play China in the first round then play Japan, Syria, Jordan in the second round, and most probably needing to win only once to enter the quarterfinals,†Reyes posted in his Twitter account.
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