By REYNALD MAGALLON
The situation of Gilas Pilipinas might be gloomy for now but head coach Chot Reyes is convinced the future is certainly bright for the Nationals.
Reyes raved at the growth of his players particularly the younger ones since the start of their preparations up until their games in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup
“The future of these guys, the core that we have right now is a very young core,” said Reyes
“Kai (Sotto), AJ (Edu), Dwight (Ramos), even Rhenz (Abando) and Jamie (Malonzo). These guys are in their early 20s, some are in their mid 20s. There’s a nucleus of guys here that has a bright future,” he added.
Sotto, the youngest of the crew at 21 years old, showed flashes of his potential in Gilas’ first four games while Ramos has also displayed that he can be part of the Nationals’ foundation in the future.
The 25-year-old guard emerged as the team’s second best option after Jordan Clarkson with 13.8 points per game while also proving that he can hold his own against fancied guards on both ends of the floor.
Of course, another 25-year-old in Abando and 27-year-old Malonzo displayed that they can be the team’s reliable perimeter defender in the future and can also be the spark plug off the bench with their athleticism and three-point shooting.
Then there’s also the biggest revelation so far for Gilas in 22-year-old Edu who held his ground against NBA caliber players in Karl-Anthony Towns, Bruno Fernando and Wenyen Gabriel.
As for what lies ahead for the Gilas program, Reyes said it’s up in the air as the program was only geared towards the World Cup and the bid for the spot in the Paris Olympics.
“The future of this Gilas team, like I said, what we have right now is only what’s in front of us,” he stressed
