Philippines vs. France - Olympic Qualifier (Photo : FIBA)
The Philippine men's basketball team is a day way before probably their biggest match of their lives. France, the overwhelming favorite in the Manila Leg of the FIBA Olympic Qualifier, will test the mettle of Gilas Pilipinas in what is expected to be a raucous occasion at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, Philippines.
Preview:
After failing to bag the gold and an outright berth to Rio Olympics last year, Philippines will shoot for the moon in a tournament that features basketball powerhouses like Canada, Senegal, Turkey and New Zealand. Then, there's France, the former EuroBasket champions and traditional Olympic participants.
On day 1 of the FIBA Olympic Qualifier, the host nation will be taking on the best team in the tournament, France, in a match that showcases Europe's best playmaker in Tony Parker and the Asia's finest court general for two consecutive tourneys, Jason Castro.
Despite missing the service of Rudy Gobert, Ian Mahinmi, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum and Joakim Noah, France is still loaded from top to bottom with San Antonio Spurs veterans Parker and Boris Diaw leading the charge for the Le Blues.
The Philippines, on the other hand, will pin their hopes on their main man, Andray Blatche and additional firepower from their guards, Castro and firebrand Terrence Romeo. Of course, Gilas Pilipinas will be backed by their 6th man, their home crowd who helped them a lot in the previous tournaments.
Projected Starting Lineup & Prediction:
Philippines: C -Andray Blatche, PF - Ranidel De Ocampo, SF - Gabe Norwood, SG -Jeff Chan, PG - Jason Castro
France: C - Joffrey Lauvergne, PF - Boris Diaw, SF - Mikael Pietrus, SG - Thomas Heurtel, PG - Tony Parker
Live Stream: - FIBA Olympic Qualifier Live Stream, Replay & Boxscores: Philippines 'Gilas Pilipinas' vs. France
Prediction:
Without their premier centers, France will likely field a bit smaller but versatile lineup. Diaw will be manning the power forward, but he can slide to small forward.
Parker will serve as their ball facilitator, though he's capable of attacking the defense anytime he wants. In a team that boasts NBA players, Heurtel is probably the most dangerous weapon France has. The 6-foot-2 guard is a deadly outside shooter who has been in numerous international battles with the Le Blues.
The Philippines is expected to stick with the traditional starting unit with Blatche in the middle. However, there's a possibility head coach Tab Baldwin place the 6-foot-10 Jun Mar Fajardo alongside Blatche with Romeo and Castro in the backcourt. This has been the Philippines' most potent lineup throughout the exhibition games, giving them some ceiling while maintaining their break-neck speed.
France enters the game as the overwhelming favorite, but the Philippine will not fold without giving a fight. If they can just emulate their form during the second half of their game against Italy, the Philippines could have a chance to hang around and pressure the Frenchmen down the stretch. With the crowd on their side, who knows what could happen in the end.
Then again, the Philippines have to play the 'perfect game' to give themselves a chance to pull off an upset. France is simply superior in almost every category, and that's why I have them winning by single digit.
