(Editor’s Note: Quentin Millora-Brown, according to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, is evidently on his way to the Philippines to rejoin Gilas Pilipinas for Window 2 of their FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Kai Sotto, meanwhile, appears to be out as of this writing. Regardless, Justine Baltazar getting called up to join the national squad again should be welcome news as he will add depth, youth, and talent to the squad moving forward.)
It seems like Justine Baltazar is the next man up for a depleted Gilas Pilipinas before the second window of their FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers campaign.
Just recently, the Philippines’ national team took a massive blow to its lineup after Quentin Millora-Brown remained unsigned, while Kai Sotto is expected to be sidelined as he just recovered from a sustained ACL injury last year. Plus, Japeth Aguilar has already retired from the national team. Given these setbacks, everyone is already on the lookout for how the addition of Justine Baltazar could work out for Gilas.
Justine Baltazar as a Frontcourt Reinforcement
Justine Baltazar may not be a 7-foot-3 Kaiju or a 6-foot-10 QMB, but the Converge FiberXers stalwart will be much needed in the Gilas Pilipinas frontcourt. Balti is 6-foot-7 and boasts a lengthy wingspan that allows him to defend bigger guys.
Compared to Millora-Brown and Sotto, Baltazar has the upper hand in terms of outside shooting. The two-time MPBL champion and Pampanga native is a decent perimeter shooter and actually has a pretty good face-up and post-up game.
However, Balti’s biggest asset is not his scoring but his tenacious rebounding. In the recent PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup, Baltazar ended the tournament with 14.8 points and 14.2 rebounds per game averages and even finished fourth in voting for the Best Player of the Conference award.
As of this moment, Gilas Pilipinas is left with June Mar Fajardo, AJ Edu, and Carl Tamayo as its manpower in the paint, with Baltazar presumed to be a shoo-in as well.
Balti in Tim Cone’s Triangle Offense
Gilas will be facing its toughest challenge in the group stage, as an upcoming match with powerhouse teams Australia and New Zealand is looming right around the corner.
Fortunately, the Filipinos aren’t new to the pressure. Head coach Tim Cone has prepared his team for an all-out battle against the Boomers and the Tall Blacks, and that would be made possible with Justine Brownlee and Cone’s system that has worked for him over and over again—the Triangle Offense. It may seem outdated and obsolete to some, but Cone has been using it not just to win games, but also to bring home championships.
While Brownlee will obviously be the number one scoring option, CTC’s triangle offense would allow the likes of Baltazar to flourish in the paint and maybe hit a few jumpers from 10 to 15 feet away.
No wonder some Gilas fans felt a sigh of relief after learning about Justine Baltazar’s presence in practice, hoping that the 28-year-old power forward will be the team’s answer to its shortage of bigs.
Additionally, Balti isn’t new to the national team. He suited up for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament as well as in the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
What’s left now is how Tim Cone will utilize a young but experienced Justine Baltazar on the international stage—if he is indeed included in the final lineup.
