Gilas Pilipinas, according to coach Tim Cone no less, is staring at the very real possibility of facing Jordan and Iran in Window 4 of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers without Justin Brownlee. JB, who has represented the national team since 2023, is yet to fly back to the Philippines as of this writing, with the qualifiers just a few days away.
“At this point, he doesn’t feel he’s really healthy enough to contribute. Whether that’s really injury or health, he was having some issues, obviously,” Cone told the media on Monday. “As we know from the last window, he wasn’t able to play against Australia. We’re hoping that those issues would be resolved by the time we play here, but as it turned out, he’s telling us that he’s just not healthy enough.”
Brownlee, 38, missed Gilas Pilipinas’ last game in Window 3 against Australia back in early July after being ruled out by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas due to a quartet of maladies: hamstring strain, peroneal tendinopathy on his right leg, left knee swelling, and cartilage defects. Hamstring strains, depending on severity, normally take about two to eight weeks for complete recovery, while peroneal tendinopathy can take six to 12 weeks of healing. Cartilage issues, meanwhile, are typically resolved from four to eight weeks depending on their seriousness.
No ‘Asa Kay Brownlee’ This Time
Missing Brownlee in an all‑important window is certainly a major blow for Gilas Pilipinas, who are looking to start off the second round of these qualifiers with a pair of home wins. After all, JB is the team’s best player, and his presence alone creates a kind of gravity that no local can replicate.
Even so, not having Brownlee could be a blessing in disguise for the national team, too. Cone, in recent years, has had the tendency to rely on JB—sometimes a bit too much, in fact, that the offense stops moving and instead defaults to one predictable play: give the ball to Brownlee. It has worked to a degree, especially in the PBA or even in the last Asian Games, but it is not necessarily the best use of available talent.
Cone Will Need to Trust His Other Big Guns
With no Brownlee, Cone will have no choice but to maximize local talent—and there happens to be talent there to be maximized starting with Kai Sotto. The 7‑foot‑3 Sotto averaged 15.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers and is generally regarded as the country’s premier big man today. Against Jordan and Iran, he will have the opportunity to prove he is one of Asia’s very best as the Gilas offense will likely revolve around him without JB in the mix.
Then, there’s the duo of Dwight Ramos and Kevin Quiambao in the wings. Ramos, a mainstay of the national team, is a proven double‑digit scorer at the international level, and he will get plenty of opportunities to spearhead the playmaking in Window 4 in the event that Brownlee doesn’t play. Ditto for Quiambao, who has gotten better and better with every window. Over the first three windows, Ramos has put up 13.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, while Quiambao has averaged 9.2 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists.
Brownlee’s likely absence could even unleash Juan Gomez de Liaño all the more. The PBA super rookie proved without question he belongs on the international stage with his scintillating showing against New Zealand in Window 3, and an increase in usage rate should only embolden the sweet‑shooting lefty.
A Big Challenge
Of course, that’s not to say Gilas Pilipinas is a better team without Justin Brownlee. JB, even at 38, is still a terrific player, especially against Asian competition. He also brings high‑level playmaking, veteran smarts, exceptional outside sniping, and leadership. However, an unhealthy Brownlee is probably a liability anyway, and it would be smart to just go all‑local rather than risk playing 4‑on‑5 against two formidable adversaries.
Now, as the Jordan (August 28) and Iran (August 30) games draw near, only one thing is for certain: it’s the locals’ time to shine.
