Philippines Senior National Team Thread Vol. V

[IPC]

SBP’s maneuvers leading to 2027 FIBA World Cup I believe are more crucial. If they expedite application for re-classication on players in bulk like M.Philips, Kouame, Munzon, Stockton and Ballungay then it can further deepen our NT pool.

Road to L.A. 2028 is more daunting than Doha 2027. In Olympics there only one slot allocated for Asia and if Japan will field their full A team then it’s theirs. Moreover most players want to enjoy the glitters of Tilseltown city and want to be part of it. Atm they Japan are the best in Asia and the window of their current golden generation may last beyond 2028 Olympic cycle. Hence, 2027 FIBA World Cup qualification is more feasible for Gilas.

We really need to construct the roster well and plan the system according to our personnel.

Right now, we have three proven FIBA-caliber interior defenders in Kai, AJ, and Japeth. Kaso, Japeth's 37 and AJ's injury-prone. So we must find a way to compensate when all three are off the floor. We will need the likes of Mike, Ange, and QMB as backups. If neither of them are eligible, we need a strong perimeter defense (and good defenders from 1-3, maybe even 4) to prevent rim pressure.

Moving onto perimeter defense, we have Scottie, Newsome (who's 34), and Dwight (although I felt he defended poorly against NZ) as key defenders. Oftana and CJ are good enough on that end, while I feel Malonzo needs to get more reps as a wing defender (and play more FIBA games, period).

Now, shooting. So far in the qualifiers, we've shot 33-93 (35.5%) from three. Not bad, not great. Dwight is our leader in 3PA at 4.7 a game, but he's shooting 3-14 (21.4%) from three. Newsome's 3-8, JB's 5-12, Oftana's 3-13, Quiambao's 4-9, Carl's 3-8. Hopefully, Dwight and Oftana pick it up, but bringing in another shooter (even as an injury reserve or after the retirement of a player) won't hurt. I think we just need shooting that can spread the floor enough and make opponents pay for sagging off.

As for the NP, JB provides us with a total package. A go-to guy, shot creation, shooting, playmaking, defense. When he retires, we'll need an NP to fill some areas he leaves behind. If the next one is someone like Ange, we need a local who can be our go-to guy, and good offensive players next to him. If the next one is Bennie Boatwright or JC, we need a good defense around them, both scheme and personnel.

[JAMSKIE]

I have a feeling that even beyond the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, Justin Brownlee will still be very serviceable for Gilas. JB's familiarity with coach Tim's system as well his established bond with his Gilas teammates would be a big plus for JB.

I think even if JB's basketball capabilities are expected to wane as he gets older, the expected improvements of Gilas local players, especially the young ones (Kai, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, KQ, Dwight Ramos), would make the Gilas team less dependent on JB as time goes on.

Yan yung kagandahan that I see in this current Gilas team - it has a good number of players 25 yrs old & below. These players are expected to improve in the coming years. Imagine what a Kai Sotto or an AJ Edu or a Carl Tamayo would look like 3 to 4 yrs from now.

[sroth3839]

I have a feeling that even beyond the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, Justin Brownlee will still be very serviceable for Gilas. JB's familiarity with coach Tim's system as well his established bond with his Gilas teammates would be a big plus for JB.

I think even if JB's basketball capabilities are expected to wane as he gets older, the expected improvements of Gilas local players, especially the young ones (Kai, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, KQ, Dwight Ramos), would make the Gilas team less dependent on JB as time goes on.

Yan yung kagandahan that I see in this current Gilas team - it has a good number of players 25 yrs old & below. These players are expected to improve in the coming years. Imagine what a Kai Sotto or an AJ Edu or a Carl Tamayo would look like 3 to 4 yrs from now.

I’d say Bennie will takeover from the start of the WCQ 2027 with JB being a backup in case the former isn’t available.

For a 1-2 game window, JB is very much serviceable.

An entire tournament? Maybe not.

[BJ_Reloaded]

expect JB to be part of the Gilas coaching staff moving forward specifically(hopefully) in U16 and U18 alongside Tinyente, Black Magic, Mr. 100% and Barack Obama.

it's just perfect sense

[IPC]

I have a feeling that even beyond the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, Justin Brownlee will still be very serviceable for Gilas. JB's familiarity with coach Tim's system as well his established bond with his Gilas teammates would be a big plus for JB.

I think even if JB's basketball capabilities are expected to wane as he gets older, the expected improvements of Gilas local players, especially the young ones (Kai, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, KQ, Dwight Ramos), would make the Gilas team less dependent on JB as time goes on.

Yan yung kagandahan that I see in this current Gilas team - it has a good number of players 25 yrs old & below. These players are expected to improve in the coming years. Imagine what a Kai Sotto or an AJ Edu or a Carl Tamayo would look like 3 to 4 yrs from now.

I don't think Dwight can be considered young in basketball terms, as he turned 26 last September. I think he's just entering his prime.

Agreed on the assessment of the team, though. We have a batch of players in Kai, AJ, Carl, Quiambao, and Dwight that can play for a longer period, and we can add other youngsters or older players to complement them.

[IPC]

I’d say Bennie will takeover from the start of the WCQ 2027 with JB being a backup in case the former isn’t available.

For a 1-2 game window, JB is very much serviceable.

An entire tournament? Maybe not.

And if Bennie's the next NP by then, I hope we have a strong enough defense to complement him. Strong perimeter defense (defenders in the 1, 2, 3, maybe 4 spots and a good defensive scheme), and/or a younger backup interior defender after AJ and Kai.

[sroth3839]

And if Bennie's the next NP by then, I hope we have a strong enough defense to complement him. Strong perimeter defense (defenders in the 1, 2, 3, maybe 4 spots and a good defensive scheme), and/or a younger backup interior defender after AJ and Kai.

It’s most likely going to be Bennie as the 4 and Kai/Edu as the 5 with Dwight, Scottie, and Newsome as the 1-3 players.

As long as Bennie isn’t the main rim protector, I wouldn’t worry too much about his defense.

The guy is a 6’10 small forward if we’re being real here. He just plays the 4 because of his size.

[IPC]

It’s most likely going to be Bennie as the 4 and Kai/Edu as the 5 with Dwight, Scottie, and Newsome as the 1-3 players.

As long as Bennie isn’t the main rim protector, I wouldn’t worry too much about his defense.

The guy is a 6’10 small forward if we’re being real here. He just plays the 4 because of his size.

If Bennie can be an effective team defender, he'll be fine. We just need to surround him with the right personnel and fit him in the right scheme.

If he plays the 3, we will need Kai, AJ, or some other good interior defender behind him as much as possible. At least against the Asia-Oceania and MENA (Middle East and North Africa) powers and against non-Asian teams.

[BJ_Reloaded]

honestly, I was not totally sold to the idea of giving the NP slot to Dobol B because he is a defensive liability.

but with the possible integration of QMB to the Gilas Program and AK34's inevitable exemption one of these days.

those two had world level defensive skillsets, many thanks to their long limbs those 2 is our trump card in our frontline

alongside AJ who introduces himself to the world that he has the pedigree to hold his ground, that defensive stand against KAT is golden. .

Kai is getting their his OQT experience against LAT and TB in the 3rd window is a strong building block moving forward.

Grandpa Chualay are currently receiving some whispering waves coming from his tight circles

well it's no brainer that Grandpa Dean is an advisor of the PBA and SBP and he knows very well about that

FIBA exemption more and in-fact during one of his online interview with the Harpers during the pandemic

he mentioned about obtaining the docs for their son Dylan.

I don't have an X account and ain't a subscriber/friend of his platform.

if only someone had the audacity to inform the Grandpa Dean that in order to have a strong case on AK34

he should advise the PBA Board to allow the dude to apply for next year's PBA Draft

CTC already mentioned that AK34 is a big part of his program moving forward and the indication is clear

for Kamaka Hepa we could only see some positive sign if he accepted and sign SGA's offer to play in the Dubai Invitational

I think someone already posted this link before to show that the Dean favors about "FIBA Exemption".

FIBA has long recognized jus soli, or land of birth, as the basis of citizenship not jus sanguinis or “right of blood” as the principle of descent. Under Philippine law, jus sanguinis is the determining factor. Under FIBA rules, if a foreign-born player has established extended residence or enrolled in a school or is playing in a country, he may be classified as a local regardless of heritage.

https://qa.philstar.com/sports/2024/07/04/2367502/exceptions-rule

[JAMSKIE]

Post deleted

[JAMSKIE]

Looking at Bennie Boatwright's game, I think he will be a lethal offensive weapon for Gilas, especially in Asian level competition. His 3-pt shooting is just really awesome, and if you have a 6-foot-10 big man shooting 3's, then that would really be very very hard to stop. I say Boatwright is going to make as much impact in offense for Gilas as a prime & fit Andray Blatche did. Compared to a prime Blatche, I think Boatwright has a better 3pt shooting, but I think Blatche' dribble drive is something that Boatwright can't match. No big man in Asian basketball can do dribble drive as efficient as a prime & fit Andray Blatche did.

The only hiccup in Boatwright's game is in his defense.

[lurklurk]

Looking at Bennie Boatwright's game, I think he will be a lethal offensive weapon for Gilas, especially in Asian level competition. His 3-pt shooting is just really awesome, and if you have a 6-foot-10 big man shooting 3's, then that would really be very very hard to stop. I say Boatwright is going to make as much impact in offense for Gilas as a prime & fit Andray Blatche did. Compared to a prime Blatche, I think Boatwright has a better 3pt shooting, but I think Blatche' dribble drive is something that Boatwright can't match. No big man in Asian basketball can do dribble drive as efficient as a prime & fit Andray Blatche did.

The only hiccup in Boatwright's game is in his defense.

Have to think of Boatwright as a forward (3/4 hybrid, wing, etc), instead of a big. You'll see it if you watch his non-PBA games. He can move with the ball, and is a solid cutter. Cone said it as well, that he sees Boatwright as a taller Brownlee. He's our matchup to the Hachimura's and Watanabe's.

[lurklurk]

I don't mean to sound overbearing, but I am so not concerned with the criticisms on Boatwright's defense. He is going to be fine, I'm telling you guys. He is solid as a team defender and while he definitely has flaws, the roster has more than enough tools to cover for his weaknesses.

My concerns regarding him are his injuries and conditioning. He had a history of knee injuries particularly to his left knee back when he was in USC. Not sure if his current Achilles injury is to his left as well, but if so, it could be due to him overcompensating for his injury-prone knee.

Also, if you look back to his build back in college and in the G-league, he is more slim and mobile compared to his stint with SMB. Not sure what the reason behind this, but it would be interesting if he can get back to his previous conditioning. Could maybe even help with his knee/ankle carrying less weight.

[JAMSKIE]

I don't mean to sound overbearing, but I am so not concerned with the criticisms on Boatwright's defense. He is going to be fine, I'm telling you guys. He is solid as a team defender and while he definitely has flaws, the roster has more than enough tools to cover for his weaknesses.

My concerns regarding him are his injuries and conditioning. He had a history of knee injuries particularly to his left knee back when he was in USC. Not sure if his current Achilles injury is to his left as well, but if so, it could be due to him overcompensating for his injury-prone knee.

Also, if you look back to his build back in college and in the G-league, he is more slim and mobile compared to his stint with SMB. Not sure what the reason behind this, but it would be interesting if he can get back to his previous conditioning. Could maybe even help with his knee/ankle carrying less weight.

Let's wait & see when he will finally suits up with Gilas.
I remember when Dray Blatche was officially the naturalized player for Gilas, some expressed skepticism about Blatche' suspect defense becoz he was known in the NBA as a poor defender. But when he suited up for Gilas, especially in Asian level game, we've seen that he's not a bad defender. That his defense was good enough.

[IPC]

I don't mean to sound overbearing, but I am so not concerned with the criticisms on Boatwright's defense. He is going to be fine, I'm telling you guys. He is solid as a team defender and while he definitely has flaws, the roster has more than enough tools to cover for his weaknesses.

My concerns regarding him are his injuries and conditioning. He had a history of knee injuries particularly to his left knee back when he was in USC. Not sure if his current Achilles injury is to his left as well, but if so, it could be due to him overcompensating for his injury-prone knee.

Also, if you look back to his build back in college and in the G-league, he is more slim and mobile compared to his stint with SMB. Not sure what the reason behind this, but it would be interesting if he can get back to his previous conditioning. Could maybe even help with his knee/ankle carrying less weight.

That was a big concern of mine when news of Bennie's naturalization first came out. Although he can make rotations to shooters, I saw that he's not the best interior defender, and not the best man-to-man defender either. I feared that we didn't have the tools to cover for him, no matter the system (which is why I preferred someone who can defend the interior to succed JB). AJ, who I felt was our only proven interior defender among the 12 at the time, was injury-prone. I thought Kai needed more work on defense. I needed to see more out of Malonzo when it came to defending the perimeter. I felt Oftana regressed on defense last season. I saw CJ get blown by a ton in the MERALCO-SMB series last June. Japeth is 37, and his reliability is a wild card. Carl and Quiambao aren't exactly proven defenders. A lot of uncertainty on that end, honestly.

And I felt we might be forced to an offensive style due to personnel. I personally don't have much confidence in an offense-first philosophy, given the losses we suffered due to poor defense (SoKor 2017, Kazakhstan 2018, Indonesia 2022 most notably; we played well on offense in the SoKor and Kazakhstan games). I saw that our most successful teams in recent history (2013 and 2015 FIBA Asia silvers, 2023 Asiad gold, and this year's OQT) had a good defense. And I'm a "defense wins championships" kind of guy, so that may color my perception a bit.

But I've seen Kai improve to the point that we can rely on him to defend. I saw that Oftana was good enough on defense starting from the OQT, stayed connected after getting screened, and mostly made good rotations. On offense, we've been a well-oiled machine this qualifiers. I only hope to see a healthy AJ (otherwise, a good enough backup interior defender in case AJ gets hurt), a reliable Malonzo on defense, and some improvement from Carl and Quiambao on defense. But now, I think Bennie could fit in with Kai in the lineup, not just with AJ.