On Deck: My Gilas Pilipinas 4.0

BAKIT?

PUSO.

For the second straight FIBA Asia Championship, the Philippines has finished second. That is impressive, really it is, even if we again fell short of our ultimate goal. For perspective, before these back-to-back silver finishes, our last podium finish was way back in 1985 when we won the gold. Between 1985 and 2015, our highest finishes were 4th (1987), 4th (2011 - Gilas 1.0), and 2nd (2013 - Gilas 2.0). So at the very least, we can say that the Philippines is competitive again and is back as one of the beasts of Asia. I can firmly say that we are (at least) the 3rd best team in Asia, probably closing in on Iran as the 2nd best.

That being said, I refuse to say that we won the silver medal because what happened was we lost the gold. Eyes on the prize all the time! As a friend put it, "Di naman sa maangas tayo, pero nakakasawa na ang silver at bronze. Kaya naman kasi kung tutuusin eh."

I honestly feel we are on the cusp of the next golden age of PH-International Basketball. The national team program is revived (and hopefully keeps on getting stronger), public awareness and engagement has been on an all-time high compared to years passed, and the skills of our players are on the uprise. 

With the Olympic Qualifiers as well as future FIBA Asia tournaments coming up, I will talk about my ideal Gilas Pilipinas 4.0 line up in this post. I'm sure that all of you have your own ideas, so you are welcome to both agree and disagree. But before going to the line-up, let's state the assumptions for this line up.

Assumption No. 1: The PBA adjusts to the new FIBA schedule.

There would be a new format for the FIBA World Championship Cup. The new format would mirror the format used by FIFA for their World Cup. This means that FIBA is letting go of the tournament style of qualification. Instead, qualification would be one a two-year qualification process, with teams having a home and away game (read more about the new format here.) 

With qualifying games now spread into two years, we can't continue with the current set up of "practice for a month after the PBA season". Now I won't pretend that I know the perfect solution for that, nor will I talk about that extensively in this post, but for the sake of this entry, let us assume that the PBA has found a way to make it work.

Assumption No. 2: All the players are available.

In building this line up, I assumed that all eligible players are available to serve for the national team. No injuries, no eligibility issues, no corporate politics. Everyone that can play will play.

Assumption No. 3: The team is not the pool.

I'd be only naming 12 players in this post, as they would be making that ideal line-up. However, due to the changes in format I talked about in the first assumption, it would be imperative for the team to have a larger active pool of players. This would also be crucial for the sustainability of the program. As Gilas 1.0 showed us, it is never too early to expose these young players to international competition. So not just because a player is not in this hypothetical line up does not mean that they are not national team worthy. Think of these 12 to the pool as the startling line up is to the 12.

So let's no go to the line up. I split it into three parts, first up:

The No Doubts:

1.) Jason Castro

Jason Castro-William was once again named into the FIBA Asia All-Star Five, further cementing him as the top point guard in the region. It is therefore a no brainer to have Castro in all near future Gilas teams. The evolution of Castro is just amazing to watch. He came into the PBA without much of a jumpshot, and even as late as the 2013 FIBA Asia, his three point shooting was still suspect. It wasn't that bad, but it wasn't a weapon either. Now though, Castro is a complete offensive player. 

2.) Jordan Clarkson

If you play Clarkson as the shooting guard next to Castro, the Philippines might just have the best starting back court in Asia. But for this exercise, I'm using Clarkson as the small forward. With Clarkson on board, we have two legit NBA players. He might even contend with Blatche as the best player in the team, if there is even a contest.

3.) Andray Blatche

If the recently concluded FIBA Asia did not show to you the value of Blatche in our team, then I don't know what will. Sure, his performance against China was less than stellar, but he was poised to be in the FIBA Asia All Star five just before the finals. You could make the case that Blatche is the best center in the region (I'm considering Yi as a power forward). Then again, maybe Blatche should get used to being matched up with Yi since he would be playing a lot of power forward with...

4.) June Mar Fajardo

JF should be the starting the center for the Gilas Pilipinas team. Period. Yes, he was remembered for all the wrong reasons during the 2013 FIBA Asia in Manila, and yes, his game might not translate to the international scene with all the large players, but let me remind you that JF finished second in player efficiency during the 2014 FIBA Worlds. He was second only to a guy named Pau Gasol, a future NBA and FIBA Hall of Famer. His high efficiency could be a product of small sample size, and with more minutes, his efficiency could have dropped out of the top five, or even the top ten. But still, do we really believe that he would be drop that low? Even if JF ends up average at the center position, that is still valuable! Being average at your position has value. Could you honestly look at any other center in our country (aside from Blatche) and say that they would be at least average against other countries?

Nope. And while we might not see MVP Fajardo out there every game, I'd take Senegal Fajardo everyday.

So far, our line up looks like:

PG - Castro

SG -
SF - Clarkson

PF - Blatche
C   - Fajardo

Next up, we would complete the starting line up and their primary back ups - 

The Debatables

Now this is where the fun would be. The first four is boring. Everyone would have them at their list. The next players though are more debatable. Let's go at it per position:

Back up Point Guard - Paul Dalistan Lee

Yes, I'm pairing the Lethal Weapon with the Blur, giving us a point guard rotation of Castro-Lee, or is it William-Lee, or William-Dalistan?

Anyhow, Pau Lee has good size for the point guard spot, he can score from anywhere on the court, has nerves of steel and ice water running in his veins. I also look at him and see an intelligent basketball player. His size would also enable him to play a bit of the two-guard, adding flexibility to the team, and in international play, flexibility is important.

Give me the Angas ng Pinas as the Asia's Blur's back-up.

Shooting Guards - Marcio Lassiter and Jeff Chan

Paul Lee at the back up PG spot might not have raised a lot of eyebrows, but I think this entry would raise a whole lot more. What I did here is I focused on shooting. Yes, Gilas 3.0, while having less shooting and more athleticism and defense was a success, but you can never dismiss the importance of shooting in the international level. And when asked for a lights out PBA Shooter, is there any other name that comes up to mind other than these two? Plus, Marcio is not that bad of a defender! In fact, I think Marcio is under utilized in the Fajardo-centric San Miguel.

Jeff Chan didn't perform that well on the World Stage, but we all now how deadly he is, as seen during the 2013 FIBA Asia. It's almost a guarantee that he would hit at least one three pointer per game.

Back up Small Forward - Gabe Norwood

My favorite example of a player who suddenly gets more noticeable in the international stage than in the PBA, Gabe Norwood just seems perfect for the international team. While MGR might take his spot in a few years (as they feel like the same kind of player), I still think Gabe is the man to back up JC. I think his basketball IQ is very underrated, as he seems to play under control and make the right choices more often than not.

Plus, he always hits a crucial three even after missing a ton before, so that counts for something, right?

Back up Power Forward - Ranidel De Ocampo

How many more years will the Pambansang Siko play for the team? I don't know, but I would enjoy each and every game he plays donning the national colors. He is one player who I deeply respect even if I root against him in the PBA. His range at the 4 helps a lot, and his footwork down low is a marvel to watch, even against much bigger opponents. He is also not afraid to get in the face of the opponents. The player who is emerging as the resident quiet enforcer of Philippine Basketball deserves a spot here.

Back up Center - Greg Slaughter

I've read contradicting reports regarding the Greg's eligibility to play in FIBA sanctioned tourneys, but I do think he is eligible. And who better to back up the Kracken than the Gregzilla? He is a legit 7 footer, is quite agile in how own right, and has decent though sometimes inconsistent jumper. If he would be playing as the second center (or even third, as you can actually use Blatche as the center too), that skill set is more than adequate.

The Kracken-Gregzilla match up in the PBA has always been hyped up. Personally, I've been even more hyped up for the potential team up of these two monsters.

Our line up now looks as such:

PG - Castro, Lee

SG - Lassitter, Chan

SF - Clarkson, Norwood
PF - Blatche, De Ocampo, R.
C  - Fajardo, Slaughter

The Final Two

So now, we are down to the last two spots, and I know that there are a lot of marquee names still not mentioned. The final slots always are the hardest spots to decide, but for the first of these two, it was actually an easy decision for me to make.

11.) Calvin Abueva

Color me impressed. Color me surprised. And yes, I hate you a lot less now Calvin.

I was one of those that didn't believe that Abueva's athleticism and activity wouldn't translate into the international stage. Boy am I eating crow right now. The role of energy guy off the bench is tailor made for Abueva. He also wasn't afraid to go down to the post against all those giants. If ever I wish there is something that he can improve on, that would be his decision making. I think this FIBA Asia 2015 experience would help him in that department. I'd still boo the heck out of him in the PBA, but boy was it fun to have someone getting in the minds of the opposing players. The Beast of the East should get a spot in the team.

12.) Kobe Paras / Bobby Ray Parks Jr.

REALLY?

Yes, Really. 

Through out this post, I have emphasized two things: flexibility and sustainability. If we want our national team program to continue to prosper, we need to expose our younger players to these tournaments. I know the US kinda does this, and that they have the luxury to do so, but how much burn does the 12th man get anyway? Look at Asi, or Intal. I rather give it to a young, potential starter of this team. And it's not like they are bad players! If Bobby Parks or Kobe Paras reaches the NBA D-League, wouldn't that make them almost NBA-level player? I know that is a huge almost and a big stretch, but I don't think the reasoning is that off.

Notable omissions:

Terrence Romeo

Bro, yes, I know bro. But I'd choose Lee over Romeo. What's that? We need a third PG? We already have. His name is Jordan Clarkson. With Romeo being limited to play as the PG due to his height, he also doesn't help much in the flexibility department. Sorry bro, but you are still one heck of a player

Japeth Aguilar

I thought about picking Aguilar as the back up to Blatche, but RDO's versatility and leadership made the choice much easier.

Marc Pingris

Look, Pingris probably is my favorite non-SMB player, but with Fajardo, Slaughter, Blatch and RDO already in, he became a victim of the numbers crunch. You might argue with giving him the 12th spot, but I rather give it to a young guy. Sorry Ping!

Troy Rosario / Mo Tautuaa

The pair of young TNT big men. Mo is ineligible to play, and I think Troy is the heir apparent to RDO. But not just now.

What do you think? Who do you have on your list? Hit the comments and let me know!