Georgia coach visits Pinoys’ lockerroom
MANILA, Philippines — Georgia coach Aleksandar Dzikic was a surprise visitor in Gilas’ lockerroom after the Philippines clinched a semifinals slot in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Latvia last Thursday despite losing a 96-94 decision to the world No. 23 squad.
“Coach Dzikic came to our lockerroom after the game to compliment our players, coaches and staff,” said Gilas assistant coach Sean Chambers. “He told us, ‘You all are one hell of a tough team.’” Gilas came back from a 16-0 deficit and trailed by 20 in the second quarter but rebounded to lead thrice before ending up two points down. Because of the quotient system, Gilas could afford to lose by up to 18 and still qualify for the semis.
Chambers said coach Tim Cone set the tone before facing Georgia. “Coach Tim stressed we’re here to not just win one game but to win the tournament,” continued Chambers. “Our guys were fully locked in and focused.Georgia’s top three players (Goga Bitadze, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Toko Shengelia) were very impressive. Coach Tim made a big decision to play zone and changed the entire game around. The hard foul on Kai (Sotto) sparked the team and led to the comeback.”
Chambers said the win over Latvia was a total team effort. “First and foremost, our mindset was we can play with any team in the world,” he said. “Dwight (Ramos) sacrificed his offense to defend (Davis) Bertans. Justin (Brownlee) was elite on all levels. Kai impacted the game on both ends of the court with his aggressiveness and presence. Can’t forget contributions from June Mar (Fajardo) and Chris (Newsome).”
Former Gilas coach Rajko Toroman said for the team to sustain momentum, it’s critical to keep Cone for the long term. “Also, work on a new, younger import with the same mentality as Brownlee,” he said. “Basketball is not an individual sport so system and chemistry are important.”
Toroman said he hasn’t seen Bennie Boatwright in action but for a naturalized player, it’s key to work within the system and not just demand the ball to try to win by himself. Toroman pointed to four factors that signal a bright future for Gilas. “First, with Kai, June Mar and Japeth (Aguilar), Gilas is very competitive on
