WHO will suit up as the naturalized player for Gilas Pilipinas if Fil-Am NBA standout Jordan Clarkson is unavailable?
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas still wants to field a solid team in international tourneys backed up by a naturalized cager, possibly Ginebra do-it-all import Justin Brownlee and incoming TNT reinforcement Cameron Oliver.
“We have two names (for the pool). At times na hindi available si Jordan Clarkson, gusto natin lumalaban pa rin tayo at may malakas na team,” Gilas coach Chot Reyes said in a Senate hearing last Monday. “For example, sa Southeast Asian Games sa May (2023), if we have Justin Brownlee, malaki pag-asa natin ma-reclaim iyong gold.
“Another is Cameron Oliver, a 6-foot-8, 6-foot-9 player. They’re already willing and hopefully they can compete.”
Aside from 6-foot-11 naturalized center Ange Kouame, Brownlee and former San Miguel Beer import Chris McCullough have expressed their desire to play for Gilas.
Senators Joel Villanueva and Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito filed the bills for Brownlee’s naturalization in the 19th Congress.
SBP President Al Panlilio asked the Senate Committee on Sports to fast-track Brownlee and Oliver’s naturalization process.
“We ask the help to facilitate the naturalization process to cover certain windows where for example Jordan won’t be available,” Panlilio said. “We know that there is a November window coming. I know it’s very tight, so the request is to have one by that time.”
The nationals are set to buckle down to work next Monday for the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers in November.
The Filipino cagers take on Jordan and Saudi Arabia both on the road.
Gilas absorbed a heartbreaking 81-85 loss to Lebanon last Aug. 26 but made up for that painful defeat with a runaway 84-46 shellacking of Saudi Arabia three days later to raise its mark to 3-3 in Group E heading into the next window of the no-bearing qualifiers since the Philippines is already qualified to the world cage spectacle next year as co-hosts with Japan and Indonesia.
In next year’s World Cup, all the major leagues will take a break to allow the Philippine five to toughen up for three months before the tourney.
Reigning PBA MVP Scottie Thompson and Ginebra teammate Japeth Aguilar, Chris Newsome of Meralco, NLEX’s Calvin Oftana, and Jamie Malonzo of NorthPort spearheaded the Gilas teams in the last window.
Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena, Ramos, Parks, University of the Philippines standout Carl Tamayo, and Roosevelt Adams completed the squad bolstered by Clarkson.
