The unexpected defeat of Smart-Gilas to Chinese-Taipei is an obvious indication that the team will have a hard time to even salvage third place. Iran and South Korea have been playing well and appear to be the teams to beat. China appears to be conserving its energy for the more crucial knockout stages. Chinese-Taipei is the biggest surprise of the tournament as it tops Group A. Qatar and Khazakstan are group toppers as well. With a lot of the teams ready to step up their games in the next round, Smart-Gilas will do well to get its act together and play its best in the more crucial rounds.
But the grim reality is that Smart-Gilas still has a lot of things missing in its arsenal. The fluidity expected from a highly-touted team is nowhere to be found. The impeccable three-point shooting that can be used against taller opponents is missing. And the dominance over lower-ranked teams is not evident at all.
Worst of all, we, Filipinos, refuse to acknowledge the weaknesses of Smart-Gilas. We are so consumed by our desire to see the team win that we remain blind to its shortcomings. We are such fanatics that we do not see the writings on the wall.
Only with an an honest and accurate assessment of Smart-Gilas will the team be able to improve as the tournament goes on. And only then can we entertain thoughts of winning.
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