MANILA – Jordan Clarkson will be making his much-awaited national team debut as Gilas Pilipinas battles powerhouse China in the 2018 Asian Games men’s basketball Tuesday at the Gelora Bung Karno Basketball Hall in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Head coach Yeng Guiao said the presence of Clarkson has given the national men’s basketball team a “slight chance” in their 5 p.m. match.
“Kung dati we are a 100 to 1 underdog against China, ngayon we are just 100 to 20. Nadagdagan na ang odds natin,” said Guiao. “We feel that we have more of a chance to win. Dati para talagang wala kang chance na manalo sa kanila.”
“What’s good for us is (Clarkson) can draw the defense and free up our shooters. His skills are very good. All of these combined translate to a quicker transition for him to make adjustments,” Guiao added.
The Cleveland Cavaliers guard is a welcome boost to Gilas, which came from a 96-59 win over Kazakhstan last Thursday. But the Chinese will also have two NBA players on their side – Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang.
“China is bringing their best team in the Asian Games. They are solid on all fronts, especially their frontline,” said Gilas assistant coach Ryan Gregorio. “We lack the height and length but we can compensate with our quickness and intelligence.”
“Zhou Qi is tall and quick. He has a range that can extend to the 3-point range. He has great anticipation skills on defense. Ding is quick and strong, and has long range,” he added.
Despite getting safely into the knockout quarterfinal round, the Philippines hopes for a 2-0 lead in Group D to avoid a possible quarterfinals collision with South Korea./PN
