ASIDE from Fil-Am NBA standout Jordan Clarkson and prized 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto who are considered as shoo-ins, other players who suited up for Gilas Pilipinas in the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers have the inside track on the team seeing action in the World Cup next year.
Nationals coach Chot Reyes said he already has a clear picture of what kind of squad he needs.
“There’s still some guys we’d like to look at, but by and large, yeah,” Reyes said on whether the Gilas players in the fourth window will make up the squad in the world cage showpiece the country is co-hosting with Japan and Indonesia.
“We saw how Dwight (Ramos) and JC (Jordan Clarkson) played together aside from Kai. So, I think that was very important,” he added.
Reyes maintained his troops’ stint in the fourth window will serve them in good stead.
“We also had the chance to test the versatility of the team, sometimes we’d go big with Kai (Sotto) and Japeth (Aguilar) together. Sometimes we’d go regular, or sometimes we’d go small when we don’t have our real power forward or a four- guy on the floor,” Reyes said.
“I think that’s important moving forward that we become adaptable, that we’re shape-shifters which I’d like to call it, that we can adapt to what the game needs and what the opposition brings to us.”
Gilas absorbed a heartbreaking 81-85 loss to Lebanon last Aug. 26 but bounced back with an emphatic 84-46 shellacking of Saudi Arabia four nights ago to improve to 3-3 in Group E heading into the fifth window of the qualifiers in November.
Reigning PBA MVP Scottie Thompson and Ginebra teammate Japeth Aguilar, Chris Newsome of Meralco, NLEX’s Calvin Oftana, Jamie Malonzo of NorthPort, Japan B.League imports Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Bobby Ray Parks Jr., University of the Philippines standout Carl Tamayo, and pro league free agent Roosevelt Adams completed the Gilas five that played in the fourth window.
