The months-long training coach Chot Reyes has been pushing for is starting to bear fruit.
The idea of Justin Brownlee getting exposure to the European style of play makes Gilas Pilipinas and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel fans salivate.
Kabahan na ang ibang PBA teams.
"Playing with the European teams, just really getting the feel, the rhythm, the pace of the international game in FIBA," Brownlee told News5's Martie Bautista as he described the Gilas Pilipinas' Europe camp.
The naturalized player caught up with Gilas Pilipinas in Tallinn, Estonia after undergoing a non-basketball medical procedure.
The Philippine men's national basketball team went 3-for-3 in the tune-up games in Estonia and Lithuania.
"It helped out in many ways, our conditioning, our chemistry, getting all the plays. Learning the system, coach Chot and the whole coaching staff did a great job in helping us," Brownlee added.
Reyes previously said that he wanted players to improve their conditioning, as Gilas Pilipinas will be playing three games in six days in the first round alone. Plus, he wanted the team to lock down regarding defensive patterns. Something Brownlee expressed when they returned to the Philippines for three more weeks of practice.
"Just seeing new and different ways of where we can defend whether it's pick and roll and help defense, it helped out in a variety of ways," he said.
Gilas Pilipinas will next fly to China for a pocket tournament, where the Philippines could also meet Iran and Lebanon. And with just over a month away, they're feeling the pressure.
"Definitely a sense of urgency," Brownlee said. But he's not too fazed.
"The team is becoming more and more confident. Just playing together, trusting each other, and individually taking what we learned from the camp in Europe. It's great to see the growth of the whole team."
(With reports from Martie Bautista, News5)