Coach Tab Baldwin said the performances of SJ Belangel and RJ Abarrientos in Wednesday’s win over South Korea is proof that small ball can still be effective for Gilas Pilipinas despite having a collection of tall players in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Baldwin heaped praises for Belangel and Abarrientos who were instrumental in Gilas’ come-from-behind 81-78 victory over the South Koreans at the Angeles University Foundation Sports and Cultural Center in Pampanga,
“They’re making a case for small ball to still be alive,” Baldwin said.
The 6-foot-2 Abarrientos provided a spark during the second quarter when Gilas trimmed a 17-point deficit to eight by halftime on his way to six points and three assists while Belangel was obviously remembered for his game-winning triple.
But the 5-foot-10 Belangel showed toughness throughout and fearlessly worked for his points on his way to scoring 13 in a starting role.
Baldwin, though is still looking to put emphasis on trying to mold the 6-foot-4 Dwight Ramos as point guard, particularly in bigger tournaments like the Olympic Qualifying Tournament later this month
“We would like to continue to groom Dwight as a point guard knowing the matchups when you get to the big stage and when you play against the big European teams that are gonna have big point guards,” he said.
“It’s okay when you have a two or three inch deficit but when that starts to be seven or eight or nine inches, that’s pretty tough on your point guards.
“But they (Belangel and Abarrientos) really controlled aspects of the game, certain phases of the game with their ball screen play. I thought RJ did a great job when we put him there and SJ was tough throughout the game and that just goes to show you that small bodies with big hearts still have a place in the game of basketball.
“We owe them a lot. They made big plays down the stretch,” added Baldwin.
The two players are still looking to prove Baldwin right, beginning with Friday’s match against Indonesia and the second meeting with the South Koreans on Sunday.