A week ago, Justin Arana was just glad he got the Gilas Pilipinas call‑up and vowed to give 200 percent whatever his role would be. He was part of the final 14‑player pool for the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, with the general belief that it would be in the Asian Games where he would make his national team debut.
Instead, he will be suiting up for the A team as early as tonight, as he has been included in the final 12 of the squad that will take on Asian powerhouse Iran in Gilas Pilipinas’ second of two Window 4 outings this August. The 6‑foot‑7 bruiser will replace Carl Tamayo, who rolled his ankle in the nationals’ 82‑81 win over Jordan on Friday.
Justin Arana Joins Gilas Pilipinas Frontline
The big man from the Converge FiberXers will be joining a towering Gilas Pilipinas frontline bannered by Kai Sotto, whose return to national team duties helped spark the victory over Jordan; AJ Edu, who contributed 9 points and 11 boards in that win; and June Mar Fajardo, who started but played just five minutes. Also in the rotation at the frontcourt are Justine Baltazar, who played a few minutes against Jordan, and Troy Rosario, who was a DNP.
Arana will be joining that quintet to form Gilas Pilipinas’ big‑man rotation. They will be joined by holdovers from the Jordan game, namely Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Juan Gomez de Liaño, Carl Tamayo, Cjay Perez, Kevin Quiambao, June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, and Chris Newsome.
Justin Arana’s Fit
While Arana is likely excited and glad that he has made the magic 12, his fit with Gilas Pilipinas at the moment remains a mystery. Tamayo, who scored 8 points against Jordan, was used mostly at the 3‑spot to cover for Justin Brownlee’s absence. The former Arellano Chief, however, likely doesn’t have the mobility, shooting, and athleticism to play that same position.
A possible scenario could be Arana taking Fajardo’s minutes alongside either Sotto or Edu. In this setup, Arana could play the 4 and not have to anchor the interior as the center. Sotto and Edu could also give the FiberXer some spacing relief should Tim Cone try to use his offensive arsenal inside.
That part of the equation remains uncertain. What is certain is that Justin Arana will go all out regardless of role.
