Gilas ng Silanganan
FROM Galis to Gilas. From Joke Reyes to Chot Reyes. From Pusod to Puso.
It seems like the Philippine National Basketball Team’s side trip to the Dead Sea has breathed life to the program’s flagging performance in the runup to the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup that will be hosted jointly by the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
What’s most impressive is the back-to-back victories over Jordan and Saudi Arabia came away from the comfy confines of Manila and its basketball-crazy Filipino fans and sans Gilas’ lone NBA player Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz.
For all his shot-making ability, Clarkson in a way gave Gilas a false sense of security as most local players deferred to him too much and were caught just watching the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year do his thing when he’s in the court.
Without the 6’4” dynamo, Gilas’ offense was less predictable and other players were more involved, leading to the breakthrough win against Jordan, which was their first loss on home soil since September 2018. While we could’ve won with a bigger margin against KSA, a win is still a win.
The Philippines’ naturalized player, Ange Kouame of Ateneo, also didn’t even start as 7’3” wunderkind Kai Sotto was the man jumping in the middle in the beginning of the games against the Jordanians and the Saudis.
While Sotto led the team in points and blocks, Ginebra guard Scottie Thompson proved to all and sundry that he’s the current and future of Gilas playmakers.
Not to disparage Kiefer Ravena, who was unavailable for the Middle East double, but I think Thompson is the superior point guard among the two.
Ravena, like his younger brother Gilas forward Thirdy, has this tendency to over dribble sometimes and look for his shot first.
Thompson, the 2021 PBA most valuable player, meanwhile, is a pass-first point guard who stuffs the statsheet and doesn’t necessarily need to have the spheroid to be effective.
His 13 rebounds against Jordan is unbelievable considering his height is only 6’1.” If he keeps this up, parallels to the “Living Legend” Robert “Sonny” Jaworski may approximate how valuable Thompson is to Philippine basketball (OK, I’m a diehard Ginebra fan, so crucify me).
The Gin King’s unselfishness is proving handy to a Gilas lineup already brimming with top-flight scorers like CJ Perez of San Miguel Beer, RR Pogoy of TNT Tropang Giga and Bobby Ray Parks Jr. of Nagoya Diamond Dolphins of the Japanese B.League.
As it stands, this Gilas team as presently constructed could be the most complete national team that can represent the Perlas ng Silanganan in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Aside from those already mentioned — Sotto, Thompson, Perez, Pogoy and Parks —shoe-ins for next year’s Gilas team should be Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar and Jamie Malonzo, and Parks’ fellow Japanese expat Dwight Ramos of Levanga Hokkaido.
Crossing my fingers that he’ll already be naturalized by that time, Justin Brownlee should take Kouame’s spot (there can be only one naturalized player). He can be Gilas’ go-to-guy with Clarkson being unavailable as he’s committed to playing for the Jazz (if he’s not yet traded).
More attuned to the Pinoy style of play, Brownlee won’t be a blackhole on offense and can be Thompson-like in feeding his teammates easy buckets. The St. John’s University alumni can also play four positions (and also center against smaller opponents) and that versatility is hard to beat in international play.
As for the rest of the current Gilas lineup, TNT’s Calvin Oftana and Poy Erram could be subbed out by six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer and AJ Edu of University of Toledo, while collegiate standout Kevin Quiambao of La Salle can be replaced by UP Maroon monster Carl Tamayo, his high school teammate.
Oftana becomes dispensable with the plethora of Gilas swingmen already in Reyes’ disposal (add to that the availability of two-time Best Import and five-time champion Brownlee). Besides, what Gilas team is complete without “The Kraken,” while Edu is just longer and younger than Erram and is more adept to being Sotto’s wingman, having spent time with the Adelaide 36er backup center in the Gilas Youth squad.
Tamayo, meanwhile, is a definite upgrade to Quiambao as he’s not only bigger but more versatile than the sweet-passing La Salle center/forward.
What a difference two games can make. Reyes and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas can sleep better now — but only until the next window in February against Lebanon and Jordan.