Gilas Pilipinas Basketball

Serbian head coach Sasha Djordjevic did not sugarcoat when asked about his opinion on the Philippine national team after cruising with a 126-67 in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

“What can I say, a tough loss is a tough loss. It depends on how you are going to react,” Djordjevic said. “We respect each and every player and we play the hardest we can. I think you showed some talent and quickness, but obviously you’re lacking quality.”

Nemanja Bjelica and Bogdan Bogdanovic combined for 37 points, leading seven double-figure scorers for Serbia as the European powerhouses shot 75 percent from the field.

“They really delivered and did their job really well,” Djordjevic said of his squad. “We did what we were supposed to do. All our players are in good physical shape and condition.”

The win put Serbia in the second round of competition while leaving Gilas Pilipinas winless in two outings. The Philippines have been relegated to the classification phase because of the loss.

The mentor added that such lack of quality result in two blowout games for Gilas against them and Italy, and that it should serve as an eye-opener for the future.

“These two games are a result of that. Two European tough teams who know how to play tough physical basketball, so that is the result. Something to think about in the future,” he said.

A former EuroBasket veteran, Djordjevic also took time to criticize the FIBA World Cup format, noting that in some groups, experts would already know who’d advance to the next round on paper.

“There are groups where from the start, you know who will advance,” he said.

Serbia and Italy won big games over the Philippines and African side Angola, putting the two European favorites to the Round of 16 easily.

“In this group, it was obvious. I don’t know if that’s a good thing for the World Cup in general, because I don’t know what does it serve us or the Philippine team losing by this point difference,” Djordjevic added.

The format this edition had 32 teams divided to eight groups of four countries each, with only two advancing to the next round.

In 2014, there where 24 teams divided into four groups of six for five games each. At least one country per continent made the four groups. Four advanced from each group to the Round of 16.

USA won that year by beating Serbia in the final and with Kyrie Irving winning the MVP award.

Written by Levi Verora, Jr.
Photos by Glenn Michael Tan