The eight-day nine-team tournament in Taipei where Powerade Team suffered sound thrashings from their opponents including champion Iran, revealed RP team’s inadequacies: lack of foreign exposure, unfamiliarity with international rules, contrasting style of play.

Jordan finished behind Iran and made the final game controversial by staging a walkout over officiating.

The Iran vs. Jordan championship battle only stressed the deficiencies of the Filipino team, and underscored coach Yeng Guiao pronouncements before the team left the Philippine soil that they should display speed, defense and accurate shooting to counter the opposition’s size advantage.

With opponents who are as fast, if not faster, massive, deadlier from the outside, and more experienced in the FIBA brand of basketball, Powerade-Team Pilipinas faltered, bogged down by sloppy ball-handling and miserable outside shooting.

Injuries also ravaged the squad at its most sensitive position -- the point guard spot, with Jayjay Helterbrand playing hurt and Ryan Reyes not playing at all.

The imbalance forced the sacrifice of Willie Miller, who was brought in from the less burdensome position of shooting guard to help quarterback the RP team while delivering the points when needed, which was often.

There were a few bright spots, especially the emergence of 6-foot-10 Japeth Aguilar, who, despite being lanky, young and raw, demonstrated his awesome potentials – defensively and as an offensive threat above the rim.

There was also Sonny Thoss holding his own against Middle Eastern tanks, and Cyrus Baguio scorching the tracks and pushing up the pace in transition.

Guiao and his team are set to head off to the 25th FIBA Asia Men’s Basketball Championship in the next six days for the “real thing” in Tianjin, China where they will try to win one of the three berths at stake for the 16th FIBA World Championship in Istanbul next year.

The Philippines is bracketed with South Korea, Japan and Sri Lanka in the FIBA Asia.

With the tournament format calling for win-loss records to be carried over to the Group A vs. Group B round, it makes it imperative for the RP team to get there with a 3-0 or 2-1 card in anticipation for return engagements with Iran and Taiwan, not to mention the games with the Uzbeks and Kuwaitis, both unscouted opponents.*

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