Gilas has a new kabayan to build a team around. Who can make the cut?
Justin Brownlee is now officially a Filipino citizen and is a Philippine passport away from finally playing for Gilas — something we assume is a mere formality. With that out of the way, it is as good a time to play prognosticator and construct a hypothetical Gilas team featuring Magic Brownlee as the centerpiece.
For this exercise, we will keep the good vibes going and assume everyone eligible will be available. And, really, whoever makes the cut likely won’t have problems playing with Justin Noypi given his familiarity with Filipino players and elite playmaking, as well as his passion for the game and for the country.
So, what could a Brownlee-led Gilas team look like for the upcoming sixth FIBA window in February? We’ve made our picks:
Starters
Bigs: Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo
Wings: Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos
Guard: Scottie Thompson
Thompson, Ramos, and Sotto are no-brainers, having proved already they are good enough in international play. Ramos, in particular, has been a rock for Gilas with his size, playmaking, and athleticism. Thompson, on the other hand, seems to have found his footing with Gilas in the fifth window, showcasing his all-around brilliance in wins against Jordan and Saudi Arabia. Carl Tamayo gets the nod as the fifth wheel as another young talent in the starting unit.
Bench
Bigs: June Mar Fajardo, Justine Baltazar, Japeth Aguilar
Wings: Jamie Malonzo, Calvin Oftana
Guards: Robert Bolick, RR Pogoy
The sixth window is the perfect time to reintegrate The Kraken back to Gilas in preparation for the World Cup. It is also the ideal situation to get the young guns — Malonzo and Oftana — more familiarized with Chot Reyes’s system and give them more international exposure, with an eye out for the future. Balti is another young big who already has international experience. Bolick and Pogoy, meanwhile, give this version of Gilas a battle-tested and explosive backcourt to spell Thompson and Ramos, with Aguilar serving as the insurance big.
With the sixth window set to be played at home and the World Cup just a few months away, expect Gilas and the SBP to go all-out for the February games. And they just got the perfect cornerstone in Justin Noypi to build around.