Gilas Pilipinas finished third out of four nations at the 2nd Doha International Cup, notching just one win against two losses—blowouts to Lebanon and Egypt. To be fair, these three games were of the no-bearing kind and were just part of the national team’s preparations for the FIBA Asia Cup coming this August in Saudi Arabia.
Even so, the three games at Doha showed enough about the state of Gilas as they look to build on the lessons of the Doha tournament for the bigger wars ahead. With that being said, here are five things we learned about Gilas Pilipinas after their friendlies against Qatar, Lebanon, and Egypt.
1. Asa rin kay Justin Brownlee.
Some openly mock Barangay Ginebra San Miguel for what they see as an overreliance on Justin Brownlee. “Asa kay Brownlee” as they’d say. But it appears the same can be said of this Gilas iteration, with the Nationals going to JB a lot for shot creation when the going gets tough. It’s not necessarily a bad thing given how Brownlee constantly rises to the occasion. But JB has struggled mightily as of late and is already 36—likely at the backend of his storied hoops career.
2. Shooting is a problem for Gilas Pilipinas
Gilas averaged just 61 points a game in Doha and scored 109 combined in blowouts to Lebanon and Egypt. Part of the problem is stone-cold shooting, with the Filipinos failing to crack 40% from the field in all three games and shooting less than 30% from downtown. This isn’t the first time the Nationals have struggled with shooting, but putrid marksmanship in back-to-back might be cause for alarm.
3. AJ Edu can be a Gilas Pilipinas cornerstone.
Edu first impressed at the FIBA World Cup in Manila back in 2023, but injuries have kept him from donning the tri-colors of Pilipinas—until now. The 6-foot-10 big’s Doha stint wasn’t anything near his World Cup breakout, but he still managed to average 6 points showed glimpses of what he can do for the country: protect the pain, grab rebounds, and be a rim-runner. A little more reps under Tim Cone’s watchful eye and he’d be a Gilas cornerstone—along with with the injured Kai Sotto once he returns.
4. So can Dwight Ramos.
Ramos has largely been just one of the guys, dutifully playing his part as a connector on offense and as a lynchpin for Gilas’ perimeter defense. But as he showed in the Nationals’ lone victory in Doha, he can also be counted on as a primary creator, doing so for stretches against Qatar. With Brownlee seemingly slowing down, Ramos will be counted upon to shoulder more playmaking duties, and it looks like he’s up for it.
5. Scottie Thompson brings unique value to Gilas Pilipinas.
For all the things Thompson can’t do, like shoot the three consistently, it’s the things he can do that make him so valuable for Gilas. This much was evident in his 7-point, 11-rebound, 3-assist, 1-steal, and 2-block performance against Lebanon, where Gilas was a +9 when the former MVP was on the floor. He sets the table, defends at a high level, and gives Gilas Pilipinas lots of extra possessions—things not a lot of Filipino guards can bring to the national team.
