Gilas Pilipinas captain Japeth Aguilar (File photo)
MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas captain Japeth Aguilar admitted that even if his team has the size to compete against the Dominican Republic's Karl-Anthony Towns, it might not still be enough to hold him down.
Speaking at the pre-FIBA World Cup press conference at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, the six-foot-nine power forward said Gilas might need to gang up on the seven-foot center to limit him offensively.
"Hindi lang ako or my teammates ang dedepensa sa kanya (It's not just me or my teammates who would defend him). It really takes a whole village to stop him and even the Dominican Republic," Aguilar said.
Gilas now boasts its biggest frontline yet with Aguilar, 6-foot-10 AJ Edu and June Mar Fajardo, and seven-foot-three Kai Sotto taking turns manning the middle.
However, Towns' ability to spread the floor with his three-point shooting and unique front-to-the-basket game for a center makes him a thorn for Gilas ahead of their showdown against the Dominican Republic on Friday night.
Aguilar said a lot of in-game adjustments might be needed as well.
"We will find out when the game starts cause we can talk about the Xs and Os, but we'll never know when the game starts," he added.
The Gilas-Dominican Republic game will take place in front of a potentially mammoth crowd at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue on Friday, which is projected to break the FIBA World Cup record for the largest single-game attendance. (PNA)
