For every choice made, there’s a choice left behind.
In a surprise, the team prioritized youth over experience. “Kung mapapansin niyo po, ang pinaka matanda po ay 30 anyos lang. Dahil po naghahanda tayo para sa 2019,” Reyes said.
“The team looks very promising especially with a very young core,” Bounty Fresh CEO Ronald Mascarinas said. “It’s going to be fun to watch and will prepare us for the long haul.”
The one player per team policy, though creating numerous possibilities, handed the selection committee limitations. Thus, certain players were left out of the elite group set to represent the Philippines for years to come.
Here are some of the cagers that could have been perfect fits to the “run-and-gun” Gilas 5.0:
Kiefer Ravena (Texas Legends, Mighty Sports)
Kiefer Ravena has been a mainstay in the Gilas cadet program since its inception. However, he has never made it to the seniors team.
Standing at six-foot-flat, the former Ateneo Blue Eagle is one of the most lethal scorers the UAAP has ever seen. In his five-year collegiate career, he averaged 16.3 points per game — only Terrence Romeo and Bobby Ray Parks Jr. posted better norms than him in the league for the last decade.
Moreover, as seen in his games with Mighty Sports, he has developed his ball-handling abilities making him a legitimate combo guard.
Bobby Ray Parks, Jr (Alab Pilipinas)
First off, Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. is not affiliated with any PBA club team as he is currently playing for ABL team, Alab Pilipinas. But it is not yet clear whether this iteration of Gilas Pilipinas is exclusive to PBA players.
Parks is currently averaging 24.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in the ABL. Moreover, the 23-year-old already has a wealth of experience under his belt. He is a two-time SEA Games gold medalist, a SEABA champion, a former NBA D-Leaguer, and a one-time Gilas veteran.
And he has already made it known that he is “just a phone call away.”
Marcio Lassiter (San Miguel Beermen)
One-time Gilas veteran Marcio Lassiter is one of the deadliest marksmen in the PBA.
The 29-year-old fits the mold of a perfect 3-and-D guy, a trend in the international game. And his resume says it all. He is a three-time PBA champion, a three-time PBA All-Star, and a former All-Defensive team member.
The Filipino-American though is teammates with June Mar Fajardo, one of the cornerstones of the program, that makes him an easy snob in the line-up.
Troy Rosario (TNT Katropa)
If Jayson Castro had not “un-retired” from the international game, last season’s runner-up in the Rookie of the Year race Troy Rosario would have been the sure pick from TNT.
The 6-foot-6 stretch forward would have added size to the already “tallest” Gilas line-up ever. In addition, the one-time Gilas veteran has slowly integrated the three-point shot in his game, currently shooting 34.5 percent in his career — a perfect replacement for Ranidel de Ocampo.
Rosario though was a victim of circumstance as he is a teammate of Gilas skipper Jayson Castro.
Gabe Norwood (Rain or Shine Elasto Painters)
It may seem that two-time PBA champion Gabe Norwood has been in the league for what seems like an eternity but the defensive specialist is just 31 years young.
Though lacking the outside shot (a career 28.4 percent shooter) — a necessity in Chot Reyes’ small-ball dribble-drive system, he more than makes up for it on the other end as he can guard four positions on the floor. Moreover, his experience in the international game would have been of great help to the young team that only has Jayson Castro, 30, and Japeth Aguilar, 29, as its eldest statesmen.
However, curiosity got the better of Reyes, choosing 6-foot-8 Raymond Almazan because he was a player who “intrigued him.”
And Norwood remains as one of the leaders of the squad, even if he is on the outside looking in.
Congrats to the 24! #LabanPilipinas https://t.co/tu0m654Tgo
— Gabe Norwood (@GNorwood5) January 22, 2017
But with a lot of things still about to happen from now until 2019, expect more names to be added to the Gilas Pilipinas 5.0 pool. And Chooks-To-Go will be there to support the journey of our #ManokNgBayan.
