It will be a physical encounter when the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team plays a home game against Kazakhstan on Nov. 30 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“They will be prepared to do that on Friday,” said coach Yeng Guiao after Gilas went through a series of tuneup games with Lebanon and Jordan.
Guiao is set announce on Wednesday the final lineup in time of their game in the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Gilas has been going through many phases, with Guiao checking the different rotations possible during their tune-up games.
“There needs to be not just a physical adjustment, but a mental one on the part of the players. These are smart players and the best we have in the country. And they understand that,” added Guiao.
So far, the national team has won one of its four tune-up matches as the coaching staff is currently looking for the right mix of players.
Guiao noted that members of the pool have experienced a lot of physicality in all their tune-up games, and this will get them ready.
He feels that the physicality experienced by the players is much more than what they have gone through in the games of the Philippine Basketball Association.
Last week’s tuneup games have been really tough on the aspirants of the national squad.
And Guiao believes that the character of the players have been tested.
Guiao and Jordan mentor Joseph Steibing got into each others’ nerves during Gilas Pilipinas’ game with Jordan last Wednesday at the Meralco Gym in Pasig City as that game was called off in the fourth quarter.
“It was a test of character and I felt that this is the kind of character that we need for a national team,” said Guiao.
Members of the pool from where the final 12 players will come from are June Mar Fajardo, Arwind Santos, Marcio Lassiter, Christian Standhardinger, Alex Cabagnot, Greg Slaughter, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, LA Tenorio, Paul Lee, Ian Sangalang, Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario, Gabe Norwood, JP Erram, Matthew Wright, Beau Belga and Stanley Pringle as well as cadets Kai Sotto and Ricci Rivero.