Toroman: Slim chance for Gilas 5 FIBA upset

MANILA, Philippines - There’s a slim chance that the Philippines will win the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament at the MOA Arena on July 5-10 and former Gilas head coach Rajko Toroman, now calling the shots for the Al Manama club of Bahrain, said yesterday even if it’s only a 10 percent possibility, he’s not discounting an upset by the host nation.

“If the Philippines isn’t hosting and will play the qualifier in Italy or in Serbia, I can tell you now, no way the Philippines wins,” said Toroman in a phone conversation from his hotel in Bahrain. “You can even put the Philippines at -50. But in Manila, anything is possible. If you play on your homecourt, sometimes, it’s easier to make shots. (Andray) Blatche could dominate inside. The fans are with you. I think Gilas is capable of making some surprises. The question is, will the surprises be enough for Gilas to win the tournament?”

Toroman said if the Philippines makes it to the semifinals, Gilas will face either Turkey or Canada. “From what I know, Canada will play with about nine NBA players and Turkey will probably be led by Enes Kanter who’s having an outstanding NBA season with Oklahoma City,” he said. “The Turkish league is one of the toughest in Europe and they play at a high level. It will be tough for the Philippines but you never know what could happen.”

Toroman said the report in media that several NBA players won’t suit up for France in Manila may be good or bad news for Gilas. “I read that (French coach Vincent) Collet isn’t sure if (Nicolas) Batum, (Evan) Fournier, (Rudy) Gobert and (Ian) Mahinmi can make it to Manila. Even (Boris) Diaw, who’s a great player, very unselfish, isn’t sure. Diaw’s all over the court and despite his size, you’ll be surprised how fit he is. Diaw once joked that (San Antonio coach Gregg) Popovich gives him minutes to make him thin. (Joffrey) Lauvergne, who’s with Denver in the NBA, will probably be in Manila but he’s not a highly skilled or special player. I remember watching him play for Partizan in positions four and five. Without the NBA players, others will take advantage and step up. (Nando) de Colo, who used to play in the NBA, is enjoying an outstanding season with CSKA Moscow. He’s the top scorer in the Euroleague. De Colo will play in Manila with (Tony) Parker and that’s an exceptional combination in the backcourt.”

Toroman, 61, moved to Bahrain last February to coach the Al Muharraq club then two months later, transferred to Al Manama. Toroman recently piloted Al Manama to a 4-1 series win over Al Ahli in the best-of-7 finals of the Bahrain premier league. Al Ahli won Game 1, 73-70, then Al Manama, starring 6-9 import Kadeem Coleby of Wichita State, took the next four outings. Midway the finals, Al Ahli brought in former Boston Celtics guard Sam Vincent as coach. Vincent used to coach Al Manama but left Bahrain to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Celtics championship in Boston, leaving the job open for Toroman.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to coach in Bahrain,” said Toroman. “Al Manama is a first-class organization. The club has two gyms, a football stadium, a weights room and when we practice at 6 p.m., they turn on the air-conditioning as early as 9 a.m. so when we show up, the temperature in the gym is perfect.  It gets quite warm from April to October but from October to April, the climate is pleasant. In my first few months in Bahrain, I stayed in a small island reclaimed from the sea where they have hotels and restaurants. For the Bahrain championships, I stayed in a hotel with our team.”

Toroman is now in Dubai with Al Manama for the annual GCC (Gulf Cup of Clubs) championships. Last year, Al Manama finished third in the tournament with Vincent as coach. “GCC is a challenge,” said Toroman. “It’s the most prestigious Gulf tournament with eight teams competing like Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar. We’re keeping Kadeem for the tournament. He’s a hard worker and we like his attitude. We’ve brought in a second import, Austin Daye who played six years in the NBA. He’s a three and four, highly skilled. Bahrain hasn’t won the title in 15 years.”

Toroman said Al Manama has six Bahrain national players. “A lot of our players have an Iranian background,” he said. “The Bahrain premier league has 11 teams. (Fil-Bahrainian Bader) Malabes plays for another team in the league. Each team has one import.” Al Ahli’s import was 7-3 Croatian Bruno Sundov who once played for Rain Or Shine in the PBA. For the GCC tournament, Al Ahli enlisted NBA veteran Loren Woods.

Toroman said he follows developments in the PBA closely. “I miss the Philippines, the PBA, the fans and my Filipino friends,” he said. “In the Commissioner’s Cup finals, I’m impressed with Jericho Cruz and Maverick Ahanmisi. I’ve always been impressed with Paul Lee and Jeff Chan. They play with a lot of heart. They’re not afraid to take the big shot. I also admire Alaska but I don’t think they have players who are as fearless in the clutch as Paul or Jeff. Maybe, Calvin Abueva is the player who can match that toughness. Rain Or Shine has always been a dangerous team because coach Yeng (Guiao) gives his players confidence. I’m happy that Chris (Tiu) is contributing a lot and also Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga and the others.”