(CNN Philippines, June 30) — Gilas Pilipinas’ training in Estonia proved to be a fruitful trip as it showed the flaws that the national team needs to address in preparing for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The Philippines went winless after falling to Estonia and Finland in a pair of tune-up games.
According to Gilas pool member CJ Perez, securing the rebounds is an important aspect that the national squad should focus on.
“We gave up a lot of offensive rebounds to Finland so that’s one thing we need to improve on,” he told CNN Philippines’ Sports Desk Thursday.
The Philippines had 37 rebounds, while Finland grabbed 55 rebounds (29 of which came from the offensive end) in their match.
The San Miguel Beermen star guard said playing in the Estonia friendlies was a huge boost despite not getting the result they wanted.
“They really showed how European teams play. We really need to be in game shape to be able to catch up with them. Their style is fast paced and there so many screens happening,” he said.
“For us, it’s a big thing in our preparations for the World Cup,” he added.
Perez gave his rating on Gilas’ recent performance, adding chemistry on the hard court as another factor to sharpen.
“It’s hard to tell but I think we’re at four. There’s a lot to work on. We also need to learn more about the system of coach Chot,” he said.
The Philippines will next travel to Lithuania to play in four friendly games.
