Would you want him in the lineup?
UAAP star Deschon "Schonny" Winston is done playing for the De La Salle Green Archers. He and the school didn’t part ways in the best of terms as an issue about the severity of Winston’s calf injury had caused a rift between both camps. There’s no doubt that the Filipino-American shooting guard would have improved DLSU’s chances to make the Final Four, and maybe even the Finals, had he recovered in time.
But all that should be water under the bridge now, the Green Archers are on rebuilding mode for next season, while their Fil-Am designated scorer is moving onto the next phase of his basketball career. One fan of his had an idea about where Winston should take his talents next.
The fan said, "I would definitely want to see you wear that Gilas jersey and represent the country."
Schonny responds, "Me too."
The 6-foot-4 Winston wearing a Gilas uniform sounds pretty good to us. Bringing in another capable scorer that can space the floor for the men’s basketball national team is obviously a welcome prospect. Before completely succumbing to his injury, the De La Salle scoring specialist was leading the MVP race, averaging 21.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3 steals through the first round of Season 85.
A shooting guard who can produce numbers like that — with the defense already focused on him — is a walking bucket. For a guy like him, all it would take to get his points in a different setting is a short adjustment period. If that remains true on the international stage, then Winston can be a high-value asset for Gilas Pilipinas, a team that is looking at a huge year this 2023.
At the very least, Gilas should take a real good look at Schonny and carefully evaluate what he brings to the table, including his Filipino citizenship papers. After all, the guy can shoot the ball and wants to don the colors of the flag.