By the time the final buzzer of Talk N Text and San Miguels Game 3 encounter sounded, Tropang Texter consultant Tab Baldwin had a lot of basketball to think about on his way home. At this point where the Tropang Texters are down 0-3 against the dominant Beermen, he has to think of a magical way to overcome a virtually insurmountable semifinals series deficit. Not even done with his job for the Texters in the PBA, Baldwin was formally named by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) as the new head coach of the Philippine mens national basketball team for the next four years. This includes thinking of the entire process leading to the FIBA Asia Championship next year in China, who include in his staff, who to pick from a talented pool, which superstars to include, what system to run. He has to think of how to keep his team competitive until 2018 and perhaps until the next World Cup. All of these problems loom over the horizon as he ushers a new beginning to Gilas Pilipinas, and he is excited to lead the pack. There are so many people to thank every time a new job is offered. Chot is responsible of being part of basketball community and perhaps is responsible why I am sitting on this chair today. I am forever grateful for him. It is a tremendous privilege to succeed coach Chot and to assume this position. I am very excited about the opportunity. This team is in good shape. It is part of our hope to improve what has been made and take this team to higher honors in the world basketball stage, Baldwin said. It is my greatest desire to do justice to this great job. I had the honor of wearing it in the past with a different role. Now the shirt seems heavier. I am sure it is the weight of expectation, but it should be that way. More than a dozen years ago, Baldwin etched his name to New Zealand basketball history, propelling the Tall Blacks to fourth place in the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis - its best finish in the FIBA World Cup. Pero Cameron made the all-tournament team which included Manu Ginobili, Yao Ming, Predrag Stojakovic, and Dirk Nowitzki. This included a gold medal in the 2001 FIBA Oceania Championship, only the second time New Zealand beat their powerhouse neighbor Australia that time for the gold. Eleven years after, Baldwin joined hands with Rasheim Wright, Sam Daghlas, Zaid Abbas, Wesam Al-Sous, and Ali Jamal Zaghab and fell just a basket short of steering the West Asian nation to the 2012 London Olympics. Wright missed the fadeaway corner triple in the final six seconds while Daghlas airballed a floater that allowed China, the host country, to escape with a 70-69 victory behind Yi Jianlians split from the line. It was the same tournament where they shocked Asian powerhouse Iran, proving that Baldwin had assembled one of the best Jordanian national teams. Two years after falling short, he was behind Gilas Pilipinas - literally and figuratively - as a team consultant when they made history inside the Mall of Asia Arena after knocking out Korea, 86-79 and making the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain. He was a part of the teams sensational rise in the decade, and always offered his basketball knowledge to help the squad grow. During its downfall in the 2014 Asian Games where it struggled to beat world number 112 Mongolia, Baldwin stayed with the team like how he did in the many adversities Gilas faced. On Tuesday, December 23, 2014, and inside the same venue, the 54-year-old mentor born in Florida, USA formally took his impressive international coaching resume to the archipelago known for its unparalleled passion for hoops, armed with a mission to leave a legacy and carry the country to another sterling ride. He has a sizzling chance to add even more glory across is already established name in international hoops. All kinds of selections, there will be a process we go through and we build this group of people. There will be nothing as important as the group of people that will be put together. We want our program to be regarded with the quality of the men. We will need to work in order to improve our important. With his assignment as the national teams new head coach, a new journey looms for Philippine basketball - a brand new beginning shortly after it somewhat disintegrated when the team had a disappointing performance at the Asian Games. Baldwin took over the chores of Chot Reyes, who helped Gilas win the 2012 Jones Cup title and the bronze in the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup aside from its appearance in the World Cup. The many-time NBL coach of the year in New Zealand said succeeding Reyes was a tremendous honor, and with his expertise in international hoops, the Philippines is expected to continue being competitive in Asia and even the rest of the world. He has given everyone another reason to aim high again. In the Philippines, he will be having an even deeper pool of players which developed their skills from the basketball culture the country possesses. This is an extremely important process. The final decision has to be mine but the hope is I will be able to work with all the PBA coaches and collegiate coaches because we dont know how deep the pool can go. I have to learn and get their advice. When we issue a Gilas Pilipinas uniform, we want to make sure that man that stands inside that uniform is ready to represent the country. We want to make sure we get the right players, he shared. The pool is talent is deeper in this country. The quality of talent is way different. From my observation, the way the talent develops is because of culture. And when Fil-Ams get here, they assume the way of Filipino players. Baldwin is now facing an enormous task of assembling everything together. The 2019 World Cup, though distant at this point, is technically just around the corner. If ever the country wins hosting rights (which shall be announced by FIBA in mid-2015), the World Cup return will be easier; nevertheless, the six-phase qualifying tournament which includes divisions and home-and-away games begins on 2017. And the Philippines might face Oceanias powerhouses Australia and New Zealand in the new format which merged the two zones into Asia-Pacific. Seven will qualify from that region; the same number of slots will be given to the Americas. A dozen European teams, five African teams, and the tournament host complete the 2019 World Cup cast. While Baldwin said countries wont have a perfect formula for the tweak in the qualification format, it will require participating teams to be in top form all-year round. It is now up to him how to live up to this task. This is why the SBP picked a coach who shall work with his team not only to achieve overnight success but long-term progress and development. The SBP added the American-New Zealander will be in charge of strengthening Philippine hoops and its overall development. This includes looking over the under-16 and under-18 basketball teams, the cadet pool, and perhaps in the future even 3x3 and womens basketball. Baldwin wont be stuck on just leading the mens team exclusively. In addition, the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship kicks off on September 23 in China, with a single ticket to the 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics up for grabs. With nine months left, the newly-appointed mentor announced this tournament is the squads ultimate goal, a springboard before even touching 2017. This is gonna be a new format for everybody in the world. I dont think there is a formula for this job. I know we are excited for the possibility to host the World Cup too, but let me tell you this: I want to see Gilas Pilipinas in Rio. I want us to go to the Olympics. I want to see us have gold medals around our necks in the FIBA Asia Championship. Those are the primary goals. If we have those, I think w e wont have a problem figuring out the formula come 2017, Baldwin said. Preparation will be intense. It will be a marathon - and not a quick dash - to the biggest stage. Baldwin will not have the entire nine months, but mentioned it took weeks to form the 2002 New Zealand and 2011 Jordan teams, giving a hint that although the program has not yet laid down the particulars, time will be enough. He added with the presence of naturalized center Andray Blatche, he may pattern the Gilas final 12 to his former teams which included superstars (Cameron and Wright). Certainly it we continue to have Andray, Andray is another level basketball player and you have to make sure you do justice to that. You have to make sure Andray is prepared to be one of the 12. I certainly would set my objective to go out there and get a superstar, he added. The new Gilas mentor is still busy, but once the dust clears, that moment where he will have to select the final 12 will arrive. More importantly, he vows to make sure hell make the perfect squad. There are entirely different players and styles of basketball. I dont think the teams needs to be revamped but I just hope all players will be available. We will select players that deserve to be in a Gilas uniform. I am an experienced coach and I think it is wiser to adapt myself to the ability of the team. I will pick players that deserve they can make Gilas better and I will adapt to their collective ability. Baldwin embraces this new role; the new partnership between him - as head coach - and the Philippines has signs that it is already strong. And it will be strengthened even more as both sides work hand in hand to strive for basketball glory sportsdesk.ph/bk/bknews/2014/12/29/target-rio-2016-tab-baldwin-begins-duty-for-basketball-crazy-philippines
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 12:18:41 +0000
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