Home » FIBA World Cup 2023: Who needs to step up for Gilas Pilipinas aside from Jordan Clarkson?

FIBA World Cup 2023: Who needs to step up for Gilas Pilipinas aside from Jordan Clarkson?

Who should step up for Gilas Pilipinas aside from Jordan Clarkson

Two games into the World Cup and the Philippine National team is already looking at being eliminated after losing against Dominican Republic and Angola. In the entire tournament, Gilas Pilipinas’s offense only focused on one man – Jordan Clarkson. Despite his efforts, the nationals still fell short. Although Clarkson is definitely a star, Gilas has to make some changes. With Italy looming in the dark to push the Philippines off the edge and force them to the exit window, who should be the other player to step up for Gilas Pilipinas not named Jordan Clarkson?

CJ Perez

The San Miguel Beermen star point guard, CJ Perez, was the leading scorer for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. His scoring and clutch factor should have been greatly utilized to relieve Clarkson’s load. Unfortunately, Perez would not see action against the Dominican Republic and would only be playing for 11 minutes against Angola. Although, with such a limited time, Perez was still impressive with 7 points, 3 assists, and 4 rebounds.

Filipino fans are urging the coaching staff to put CJ Perez on the field, especially in the fourth quarter as he is very deadly in crunch time. It’s been evident that Clarkson made some errors in the final moments of the game against Dominicana. It could have greatly helped had it been CJ Perez taking some pressure of JC. If used, Perez could be the X-factor Gilas has been looking for.

Dwight Ramos

Don’t get fooled by his looks! Currently playing for Levanga Hokkaido in Japan, Dwight Ramos is a very fluid scorer who can play positions 1 to 3. He’s got the size to bully opponents down below or shoot the ball from behind the arc.

Dwight’s quick first step is very deadly and he can go up even against taller defenders. So far, he has been playing well in the World Cup. Dwight is quite consistent but he needs to step up to the plate especially when the team calls for it.

Rhenz Abando

The fan-favorite member of Gilas Pilipinas is no other than Rhenz Abando. The 25-year-old forward plays in Korea’s Anyang KGC and has had huge success overseas. As an uber-athletic scoring machine, fans have been wondering why Abando continues to be benched despite his precedence.

The young star has shared the court with international players in Korea and he doesn’t seem fazed going head-to-head against quicker, taller, and bigger matchups. Furthermore, he plays with heart and passion, something Gilas Pilipinas really needs. Aside from that, Abando is an elite defender and he showed how good he is at locking opponents down in the final minutes of the Philippines vs Angola match. Should coach Chot Reyes use him more? We believe so.

June Mar Fajardo

Kai Sotto is the tallest member of Gilas Pilipinas but it’s been June Mar Fajardo who’s been an absolute second option for the team. The Kraken is difficult to stop on the paint, especially with his experience.

But, at 33 years old, it’s tough to put the pressure on the 6-time PBA MVP. Nevertheless, June Mar Fajardo is a beast on the floor and we need more of that tenacity moving forward.

Should Tim Con replace Chot Reyes?

There are a lot of reasons why Filipinos hate Chot Reyes. Some of these are because of:

  • First, they think his tactics never work. Since the game against the Dominican Republic, Gilas Pilipinas’ offense has been solely dependent on Jordan Clarkson.
  • Moreover, their defense also looked non-existent at times as observed during the match against Angola.
  • Also, other players, despite their talents and skill, receive little to no action on the court. Take Kai Sotto and CJ Perez as examples. In game 1, Kai only played one minute while Perez was a DNP (Did Not Play).
  • Not only that, many believe Chot has favoritism issues. Picking Kiefer Ravena (his godson) and RR Pogoy (a Talk ‘N Text player) over Bobby Ray Parks and Calvin Oftana now makes sense, at least for those who think so. People are already SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) to let go of him and find another man that suits the job. If they lose against Italy, the Philippines’ chances of appearing in the 2024 Paris Olympics will be out of the window.

On the other hand, Tim Cone is already a tried and tested coach. He’s the winningest coach in the PBA and brought the Gold medal in 2019 after taking over Gilas Pilipinas. Should Coach Tim take Reyes’ job? People are already agreeing on this thing and if they indeed get eliminated in the World Cup, maybe it’s time we see a change in direction.


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