Gilas Pilipinas came away empty-handed in the 3rd FIBA window after losing to New Zealand in a double-overtime thriller on July 3 and being blown out by Australia on July 6. Much has already been said about both games in the past 24 hours, but few have discussed what the plan should be going forward.
Here’s our wishlist for the men’s national basketball team well ahead of the 4th window, scheduled from August 24 to September 1.
1. Securing a Top-Quality Point Guard
The first and most critical wish is to have a top-quality point guard running the show. Having an elite floor general will always provide a major boost to a team’s overall execution, and Gilas simply lacked that steadying presence in this window.
This is by no means a slight toward Juan Gomez de Liano and RJ Abarrientos. They are exceptionally gifted scorers who can distribute the rock well, but they are not the same caliber of pure point guard (or even combo guard) as an SJ Belangel or Kiefer Ravena. Scoring is important, but if our lead guard struggles to advance the ball down the court and has difficulty breaking a half-court trap, the offense will stall and lead nowhere—much like the stagnant performance witnessed against Australia.
2. Time to Let June Mar Fajardo Rest
Number two on the list: it is time to let June Mar Fajardo rest. The San Miguel Beermen and PBA legend has been a stalwart with the national team since 2013. However, at age 36, there comes a time when he should no longer be included in the player pool.
He always plays his heart out and will never deny the flag when called upon, but sadly, his time at this level is winding down. Furthermore, he may be dealing with lingering injuries that have not been made public. “The Kraken” will forever be enshrined as the nation’s best center, but it is time to officially pass the baton to the next generation.
3. Activating Justin Brownlee’s Replacement
Before the negative comments come rushing in, hear the logic out. Similar to the June Mar Fajardo situation, Father Time is closing in on Justin Brownlee very quickly, as he is two years older than Fajardo. Additionally, Brownlee had to sit out the game versus Australia while nursing multiple knee injuries entering the 3rd window, which also partially limited his effectiveness against New Zealand.
If there is someone who can feasibly take his place as the program’s naturalized player, the 6-foot-10 Bennie Boatwright is more than capable. The 29-year-old is just waiting in the wings to be called up to the national team. There is no better time for him to get his feet wet than in the fourth window, where Gilas will square off against Jordan on August 28 and Iran on August 30.
