The Annual #BallerAwards: The Best of Asian Basketball in 2014

In lieu of a year-ender, I felt it would be better to go position-by-position and look at the best ballers of 2014. 

In this post, I will talk about the guys who did really well in the 2014 Asian basketball scene. Perhaps they led their countries/teams to titles and milestones. Perhaps they led their respective leagues in a certain statistical category. Perhaps they made history. Perhaps they did all of those things.

The Most Thankless Job in Philippine Basketball

A couple of weeks ago, the SBP and PBA revealed how the Gilas program was due for a bit of an overhaul. This, of course, was triggered by Gilas’s dismal showing in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. A lot of people assumed that this meant coach Chot was automatically out of the equation, but that was quickly refuted by SBP officials, who said that coach Chot will still be involved in the program and may even be renewed as the team’s coach.

The only coach in the past three decades to give us a Jones Cup title, a FIBA Asia silver medal,
a FIBA Asia Cup bronze, and a win in the World Cup has called it quits.
(image from Smart Gilas)

At midday today, however, the coach who steered Philippine basketball back to the world stage took his name out of the running.

#GilasIssues: Part 2 – It’s Not The Coach

Off with his head.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much backlash result from such an unfortunate confluence of events involving Gilas Pilipinas.

After steering Gilas to a disappointing finish in the 2014 Asian Games, seemingly shaming naturalized player Marcus Douthit in public after losing to Qatar, and engineering an unprecedented own-goal attempt against the Kazakhs, coach Chot Reyes came under fire from all angles.

Many wanted him out of Gilas as soon as possible.

Some considered him no more than a disgrace to Philippine basketball.

Everybody wanted, at the very least, an explanation.

Practically nobody was left in his corner, except those who were actually, literally, with him in Incheon, South Korea.

Coach Chot had a forgettable stint in the 2014 Asian Games.
(image from Jumpball.co.kr)

"It's unfair criticism. Obviously, the result here in Korea wasn't what we had planned. We were hopeful to compete for the gold medal. But again a lot of unexpected things happened, from Andray's eligibility issue, to having Marcus back after pretty much two to three months layoff, and on top of that the injuries, but then again, it's not an excuse. The guys continued to fight, gave everything they had but for this particular tournament, it wasn't enough," said Jimmy Alapag in one interview.

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Final Day

History was made in the 2014 AsianGames in Incheon, South Korea as the hosts pulled the rug from tournament favorite Iran to win its fourth Asiad gold medal. It was a fitting send-off for one of Korea’s most iconic players, too, as they bid farewell to the international career of Kim Joo-Sung, who was also around when Korea last won a gold in the 2002 Busan Asian Games. In the bronze medal match, Kenji Hasegawa’s crew held on to beat Kazakhstan and secure Team Hayabusa’s first Asiad medal since 1994.

23-year old Kim Jong-Kyu represents the bright future of basketball in Korea.

Evaluating Gilas Pilipinas in the 2014 Asian Games

I recently guested on ABS-CBN Sports + Action’s The Score (hosted by TJ Manotoc) to talk about the campaign of Gilas Pilipinas in the 2014 Asian Games. Talking about the pains and gains of Gilas was tough, since the team, by all intents and purposes, fell way short of their (and our) expectations. Still, when taken in the proper context, one cannot help but still be proud of what this team did. When looking at Gilas from a big picture perspective, there’s hardly any doubt about the positive difference it has made on Pinoys.

The 2014 Asiad marked the end of Gilas Pilipinas's cycle that started in 2012.

And I’m not just talking about basketball.

#LabanPilipinas #PUSO

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Day Eleven

Gilas Pilipinas ended its campaign in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea on a bright note, beating upstart Mongolia and finishing seventh in the field of sixteen. The win, however, failed to completely compensate for the fact that this is the worst finish of the Philippines in the Asian Games. China, meanwhile, upended Qatar to finish in the top five, while Korea and Iran won in the semis to dispute the gold medal today.

The old and the new together. Old-timer Kim Joo-Sung is serving as a mentor
to young big man Lee Jong-Hyun.

Game recaps:

PHILIPPINES over MONGOLIA, 84-68

Box Scores

Ranidel De Ocampo flirted with a triple-double in this game, while June Mar Fajardo reeled in a double-double performance as the Philippines notched just its third win in seven games here in Incheon. RDO scored 25 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and handed out 7 assists in 32 minutes of play for Gilas, which finishes outside of the top 6 for the first time ever. Fajardo gave a good account of himself as Marcus Douthit was used sparingly. The SMB big man dropped 11 points and 12 boards to anchor Gilas’s middle. LA Tenorio and Gabe Norwood also did well with 11 points each. Mongolia’s dynamic duo of Bilguun Battuvshin and Sanchir Tungalag paced the losing side with a combined 33 markers.

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Day Ten

The tailspin of Gilas Pilipinas continued in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. The Filipinos, with Jimmy Alapag and Marc PIngris sitting out, were thoroughly dominated by a youthful and energetic Chinese squad, while Qatar bounced back from losing to Korea by defeating Mongolia.

Ranidel De Ocampo and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas stumbled anew.

Game recaps:

CHINA over PHILIPPINES, 78-71

Box Scores

2013 FIBA Asia veterans Liu Xiaoyu and Li Xiaoxu stepped up in this match, hitting a combined 5 triples as China stayed alive for a top five finish in the tournament. Gilas Pilipinas was out of this one early, consistently trailing by double-digits and falling behind by as many as 19 points. The point guard duo of Liu and Guo Ailun effectively quarterbacked Gong Luming’s squad, combining for 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists, while the wing pairing of Zhao Tailong and Zhai Xiaochuan tallied 14 and 13 points respectively. Young big man Zhou Qi also did well, anchoring the middle with 9 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. Marcus Douthit continued to put up big numbers for the Philippines after being benched in the game against Korea, scattering 24 markers, 6 boards, and 2 swats. Ranidel De Ocampo was the only other Pinoy in double-figures with 14 points. China faces Qatar for fifth place, while the Philippines, even if it wins its next game against Mongolia, is set to record its worst finish in Asian Games hoops history.

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Day Nine

Coach Chot Reyes goes under the microscope after an earlier-than-expected
 exit in the 2014 Asian Games.
(image from Jumpball.co.kr)

The Filipinos won their game against Kazakhstan but lost out in the race for a semifinal seat in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Gilas Pilipinas was firmly in-control of their match against the Kazakhs, but another late game collapse doomed their chances to advance. Meanwhile, Iran and Japan notched separate wins to secure the top two spots in Group G, while Korea’s win over Qatar towed the home team and Kazakhstan to the crossover semifinals.

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Day Eight

Day Eight saw Philippine hearts beak anew amidst another second half collapse in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. After leading for most of the game, the Pinoys couldn’t finish off the Koreans and suffered their third loss in a row. Hope floats, however, as the Kazakhs upset Qatar in the next game to complicate matters in Group H. Meanwhile in Group G, another upset happened as Japan beat China while Iran manhandled Mongolia.

Yang Hee-Jong, Cho Sung-Min, and Moon Tae-Jong celebrate after
completing a comeback against Gilas Pilipinas.
(image from Jumpball.co.kr)

Game recaps:

IRAN over MONGOLIA, 107-69

Box Scores

Mongolia gave Iran a stiff challenge in the first quarter, but Team Melli turned on the jets and proceeded to pound the Mongolians to submission the rest of the way. Once again, coach Memi Becirovic rested his prized scorer Samad Nikkhah Bahrami in preparation, no doubt, for their last three games. His heir apparent, Mohammad Jamshidi, however, stepped up with 20 points, while veterans Asghar Kardoust and Hamed Afagh chipped in 19 and 18 markers respectively. Iran shot 63% from the field while limiting Mongolia to just 36%. Mongolia’s power pair, Sanchir Tungalag and Bilguun Battuvshin, played a total of only 4 minutes and had 0 points. Uuganbayar Oyuntsetseg, Munkhbold Bataa, and Otgonmunkh Munkhtur each scored 13 points for the losing side. Iran is assured of a semis berth, but it needs a win over China tomorrow to secure top spot. Mongolia’s chances of advancing are hinged on blowing out Japan tomorrow and China losing to Iran.

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Day Seven

Day Seven saw the Philippines fall into a couple of setbacks in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. After failing to upend Qatar, Gilas Pilipinas was on the verge of imploding as coach Chot Reyes heavily criticized his wards for their lackluster effort. In other games, China, Korea, and Iran stayed true to form and manhandled their respective foes.

Boney Watson could hardly be stopped as Qatar defeated Gilas.

Game recaps:

CHINA over MONGOLIA, 108-67

Box Scores

China leaned on a hot start to build an early double-digit lead that Mongolia would never be able to overhaul, and Gong Luming’s wards cruised to the big blowout to open their quarterfinal campaign. Coach Bayartsogt Odonbaatar’s team was grossly outrebounded here, 51-23, and shot just 35% from the field, while the Chinese were red-hot, making 66% of their attempts. China hit 11 three-pointers in this game, with 10 coming from the trio of Zhao Tailong, Gu Quan, and Ding Yanyuhang. Zhao had 21 points to lead the way, while Gu and Ding scored 20 and 19 respectively. Projected 2015 NBA draftee Guo Ailun also did well with an all-around line of 7 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists in 25 minutes of play. On the other end, Sanchir Tungalag and Munkhbold Bataa paced the losing side with 15 and 14 markers respectively, but the pair shot a woeful 11/29 from the floor. Team Captain Bilguun Battuvshin struggled with foul trouble and scored just 8 points. China goes up against dangerous Japan next, while Mongolia takes on powerhouse Iran.

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Day Six

Day Six had plenty of excitement as down-the-wire action was all over the place in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Iran, China, and Qatar had to scramble to get past their foes, while host team South Korea had little trouble routing Jordan. The results also sealed the final eight’s quarterfinal groupings.

Quarterfinal Group G: China, Mongolia, Iran, and Japan.

Quarterfinal Group H: Kazakhstan, South Korea, Philippines, and Qatar.

Hamed Haddadi's Iran broke the hearts of the Pinoys anew.
(image by Bay Ismoyo/AFP)

Game recaps:

CHINA over TAIWAN, 59-58

Box Scores

China looked to be firmly in-charge after building a 47-35 lead in the third quarter, but the Taiwanese refused to serve the win on a silver platter and made a big rally in the final period. Behind the clutch shooting of Ke Chi-Hao and Lin Chih-Chieh, Taiwan rallied and threatened to pull the rug from under the Chinese, but Gong Luming’s wards held on to sweep Group C and advance to the next round. The dynamic duo of Wang Zhelin and Zhou Peng scored a total of 24 points to lead the Big Red Machine. China shot just 35% from the floor, but they compensated by outrebounding Taiwan, 45-39. The Taiwanese surely missed naturalized player Quincy Davis, who was ruled ineligible. They were paced by Tien Lei’s 10 markers and 3 triples.

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Day Five

Day Five saw many of the tournament favorites strut their stuff in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Iran, China, and Japan expectedly blasted their respective foes even as South Korea had to make adjustments in the second half to throttle upstart Mongolia.

Oh Se-Keun played splendidly in returning to action for the Korean NT.

Game recaps:

SOUTH KOREA over MONGOLIA, 90-67

Box Scores

This is an example of the final score not really doing justice to the kind of hardships Korea had to go through just to dispose of pesky Mongolia. Behind the prowess of Sanchir Tungalag, the Mongolians led the hosts after one quarter and trailed by a solitary point at the half. Coach Yoo Jae-Hak proceeded to make adjustments as his squad finally caught fire in the third period to break the close game open. Returning veterans Oh Se-Keun, Heo Il-Young, and Moon Tae-Jong were at the forefront of the Korean attack, scoring 22, 12, and 10 points respectively. Korea utilized its size advantage fully, outrebounding their foes, 49-23. Tungalag finished with 24 points for Mongolia, which should still advance to the quarterfinals unless Jordan upsets Korea.

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Day Four

It was another day of upsets in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Kazakhstan and Mongolia came up huge, pulling the rug from higher-seeded Taiwan and Jordan, respectively, to continue their winning ways, while the Philippines and Qatar played true to form to dispose of their own opponents.

Coach Bayartsogt Odonbaatar of Mongolia raises his hands in
triumph after his team defeated Jordan.
(image from Jumpball.co.kr)

Game recaps:

KAZAKHSTAN over TAIWAN, 74-68

Box Scores

The forward duo of Anatoliy Kolesnikov and Dmitriy Gavrilov was on-target in Kazakhstan’s fourth game in as many days. That pair combined to shoot 16/24 from the field, scoring a total of 36 points to lead the Kazakhs in their upset win over fancied Taiwan. Kolesnikov flirted with a double-double here, collaring 9 rebounds on top of his 18 points, while Anton Ponomarev tallied 10 markers and 11 boards in the win. The Taiwanese were grossly outrebounded here, 39-29, and they relied too much on their three-point shooting, hoisting 31 shots from beyond the arc. They did, however, make only 9 of those threes, while also allowing their foes to shoot 27 free throw attempts. Lu Cheng-Ju led the losing side with 17 points on the strength of 5 triples, while Tien Lei and Lin Chih-Chieh each scored 11. This was a great bounce-back win for Kazakhstan, which was routed by India two days ago.

2014 Asian Games Micro-Preview Part 2: The Preliminaries

The first three days of hoops in the 2014 Asian Games are done. Four teams have bid adieu (Hong Kong, Maldives, Palestine, and Saudi Arabia), while four others joined the eight pre-qualified teams in the second phase of the competition, which is also called the Preliminary Round. In this round, the twelve remaining countries are divided into four different groups, and each group will go through a single-round-robin format of play. This means each team only has two games to play before either moving on to the quarterfinals or packing their bags for home.

Needless to say, each game is going to be huge in this round. One loss puts a huge amount of pressure on any team, while it’s also very possible to have a three-way 1-1 tie in a group.

It can definitely get pretty wild.

What makes this round even more interesting is that many of the teams are relatively on the same level (perhaps with the exception of FIBA Asia champion Iran). Heck, even defending Asian Games champion China didn’t send its deepest possible team. Even the Koreans aren’t clear-cut favorites to win gold in spite of the fact they’re playing on home soil. Not having their ideal naturalized players has also gutted teams like Jordan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. In general, we should see a lot more unpredictability starting in this round.

Can PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo compensate for the absence
of NBA player Andray Blatche?
(image from FIBA)

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Day Three

Basketball action heated up in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea India got back on-track with a huge win over Kazakhstan even as Mongolia and Kuwait figured in a nail-biter for the solo lead in Group A. The results finalized the top two qualifiers from the first round and formalized the groupings in the second round.

India recovered from its Day 2 loss by thumping Kazakhstan on Day 3.

Game recaps:

KUWAIT over MONGOLIA, 82-81

Box Scores

Nayef Al-Rashidi hit 2 free throws after the final buzzer sounded to pull the rug from under Mongolia and give Kuwait its third win in as many games. Consequently, the Kuwaitis swept Group A and advanced to the next round to be grouped with Japan and fellow Gulf nation Qatar. Mongolian fans thought their team had this win in the bag after Sanchir Tungalag hit two free throws to give his team an 81-80 edge with 6 seconds left. Kuwait failed to launch a shot in the final sequence, but a foul was called on Mongolia that led to Nayef’s game-winning charities. Mohammad Abdul-Aziz paced five Kuwaitis in double-digit scoring with 13 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Abdullah Al-Shammari added a dozen markers, 8 boards, 5 dimes, and 5 steals. Mongolia also advances to the next round and is grouped with Jordan and home team South Korea. The Mongolians were led by Tungalag’s 23 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 triples. He did, however, also commit 12 of his team’s 26 turnovers.

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Day Two

Basketball action continued in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea yesterday, with a couple of upsets sprung. Kuwait buried Hong Kong to move up to 2-0, while the ballyhooed Indians suffered a blow to their campaign after losing to Saudi Arabia. Mongolia and Kazakhstan also got their second wins to bolster their chances of advancing.

Mohammad Al-Marwani of KSA drives into Amritpal Singh of India.

Game recaps:

KUWAIT over HONG KONG, 81-65

Box Scores

Kuwait led most of the way here and limited Hong Kong to just 9 points in the fourth quarter to come up with their second victory in as many outings. Kuwait outrebounded Hong Kong, 43-36, and shot better from the field (45% to 36%). Ahmad Al-Baloushi and Hussein Al-Khabbaz each scored 15 points to lead the winners, while 6’8 Saleh Al-Brahim added a dozen markers and 7 boards. Hong Kong drew 16 points and 4 triples from shooter Lee Ki, but ace players Lo Yi Ting and Duncan Reid combined to shoot just 5/18 from the floor.

2014 Asian Games Basketball Roundup: Day One

Basketball action kicked off in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea yesterday, with four teams gaining significant ground in trying to qualify for the next round. There weren’t any surprising results save for the big upset of Mongolia over fellow East Asian side Hong Kong. In the other games, Kazakhstan and Kuwait routed their foes even as rising power India continued flashing its impressive form.

Abdullah Al-Shammari rises in traffic as Kuwait blasted the Maldives.
(image from Jumpball.co.kr)

Game recaps:

MONGOLIA over HONG KONG, 86-77

Box Scores

Mongolia avenged its loss to Hong Kong in the 2013 East Asian Games by turning to its two young stars, Sanchir Tungalag and Bilguun Battuvishin. Tungalag led the way with 31 points and 13 rebounds, playing all but two minutes, while Battuvishin added 27 points, 7 boards, and 3 triples. This win puts the Mongolians one step closer to the next round and might even push them to first place should they beat Kuwait and lowly Maldives in their next games. It was a sorry result for the Hong Kongers, who were hoping to build on their top ten finish in the 2013 FIBA Asia Men’s Championships. They now have to win their remaining two games to advance. They shot better from the field, but they also got outrebounded and turned the ball over 19 times. Duncan Reid led Hong Kong with 15 points, while Lo Yi Ting and Chan Siu Wing each  tallied 14 markers.

2014 Asian Games Micro-Preview Part 1: The Qualifiers

Amidst all the controversy regarding athletes’ eligibility, the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea will charge forward. Despite many athletes (mostly those naturalized and foreign-born) being ruled out as the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee (IAGOC) upholds confusing (and conflicting) rules on athlete eligibility, teams and players have trooped to this Korean entry city for the quadrennial meet.

Basketball has not escaped the controversy (it has been at forefront, actually), what with guys like Taiwan’s Quincy Davis and the Philippines’ Andray Blatche being deemed ineligible. A few months ago, even Korea’s own efforts at naturalizing KBL veteran Aaron Haynes were thwarted by the OCA and IAGOC. Simply put, everyone has suffered. It’s crazy.

Still, the games will go on, and so must we. 

Marzouq Al-Muwallad will spearhead Saudi Arabia's attack.

Why Andray Blatche might not play in the 2014 Asian Games.

Andray Blatche sporting the now ubiquitous "Puso" chest-thump,
and in a Gilas kit to boot!
(screencap from InterAKTV)

Former Washington Wizard and Brooklyn Net Andray Blatche has had an up-and-down career in the the NBA. He’s had a colorful history both on and off the court. He’s also had flashes of brilliance.

Now, however, right smack in the middle of the 2014 offseason, Blatche still has no NBA team. After refusing to re-sign with Brooklyn, he has not been able to receive any satisfactory offers. 

The only team he has now, in fact, is the national team of the country that recently adopted him — Gilas Pilipinas.

AFAIK, Blatche is under contract for the 2014 FIBA World Cup and up till the 2014 Asian Games. Barring any unforeseen developments, Blatche should be a go in Spain, but his presence in Incheon may not be as guaranteed.

It doesn’t really have anything to do with his not having an NBA team yet. I’m pretty sure someone like him has a fair chance of landing a contract, especially if he performs well for Gilas.

Andray Blatche’s Journey from New York to Gilas Pilipinas

There are three dates that will probably rank high among “most memorable moments” for Brooklyn Nets center Andray Blatche.

The first one is June 28, 2005 – the date of the 2005 NBA Draft.

The different stages of Andray Blatche.

Blatche declared relatively early for the NBA, bypassing the collegiate route after he shone as a high school phenom. In his first few years playing high school ball, Blatche was a student-athlete at Heninger High in Syracuse, New York. With his nearly nine-foot standing reach, 7’2 wingspan, and guard-forward skills, Blatche dominated on the court and was named to the All-State team in 2004. He moved to South Kent Prep in Connecticut for his senior year and continued to shine, norming 24 points and 18 boards per outing. For his efforts, the Syracuse Orangemen and Connecticut Huskies expressed interest in recruiting him for the US NCAA.