Team Pilipinas' Most Vital Players against Iran

(c) FIBA Website / PBA Media Bureau

Once again, Team Pilipinas will meet Iran and Hamed Haddadi. Even though this is not a must-win game. It is still important to get the win to make sure that we control our fate in the deeper stage of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifier. 

Iran has been playing elite ball as shown by their current slate of 5 wins and a single loss. Actually, those five Ws came from their last five games. Which means they are aiming to get their sixth straight victory against Team Pilipinas.

All the twelve players that coach Yeng Guiao named are important to this game but I believe that if these three ballers play well, we will win the game.

MARCIO LASSITER

Iran is not all about Hamed Haddadi. Don't forget about Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, their tall, intelligent and feisty point guard. 

Bahrami is the current leader in terms of assists in the FIBA Asian Qualifier with almost 7 a game. With his size, Alex Cabagnot, Paul Lee and Scottie Thompson will be having a hard time staying with him.

Marcio Lassiter's fluidity and length will help him handle Bahrami. Lassiter has been an above average defender in the PBA but he may need to be more than that to stop Samad.

Other than his defense, Lassiter's offense is so vital. We are 12th in terms of three-pointers made per game and 11th in terms of 3FG% out of the 16-teams race!

Yes, we badly need a shooter. 

Let us all hope that Lassiter will be lock-and-loaded from the outside to open-up spaces for their guards and their bigs.

CHRISTIAN STANDHARDINGER

I am pretty sure Standhardinger will get the first crack on Haddadi. That first crack is important. We cannot let Hamed get his groove at the start because he can be unstoppable all throughout the game. 

On offense, we should force Hamed to work and Christian's physical post play is just what we need. I trust coach Yeng to put Standhardinger on the right positions to attack the basket. One thing that I am hoping Christian will do more is to kick the ball outside.

SCOTTIE THOMPSON

We will play the 2nd best rebounding team in the tournament with 45.0 per game. If you think about it, they are really the best because they have a lot of blowout games that they do not need to go all out the entire game.

And do not forget that we are much smaller in size. Fortunately, we have the best rebounding guard of our country. Thompson's nose for the ball is world-class. If he will be able to give us at least seven rebounds in 20 minutes of play, we should be okay.

Other than grabbing the board, the ability of Thompson to go from end-to-end with his speed and handle will help us breakdown the defense and play fast.

It is also vital that Thompson will be average from the outside in this game. I am pretty sure Iran already saw his numbers in the PBA and they will surely let him shoot from the outside. Those threes will be bonus points for us. 

I am not saying that we will surely lose if one of them will have a bad game. What I am saying is, we will get the W if all of them plays well and accomplish their responsibilities.