Gilas Pilipinas Men are bringing back Juan Gomez de Liano for Window 3 of the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
The lefty guard is taking the place of Scottie Thompson in the 12-man lineup bound to face Australia and New Zealand, the SBP announced Friday.
A little over 24 hours after announcing the team, the switch was made after the former PBA MVP deemed it best to skip the June 29-July 6 tilt due to injury.
Thompson has been bothered by a bruised hamstring but still played through it in the recent Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals between Ginebra and TNT.
It affected his overall play during the best-of-7 series but went on to earn PBA Press Corps Finals MVP honors, as he starred in their 88-76 clincher last Wednesday, pouring 19 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and three steals.
A BPC candidate as well, the 32-year-old finished the Finals with per-game averages of 10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.3 steals.
And in the coming weeks, Thompson will be setting aside national team duties to focus on recovery like Tropang 5G star Calvin Oftana, who’s set to undergo surgery on his foot and rest from a recurring calf injury as well.
With this, Gomez de Liano found himself returning for another window after making his debut in Tim Cone’s Gilas back in Window 2 last February.
His addition has also made this particular squad much younger and fresher, with the coaches opting to bring in another Converge FiberXer in Justine Baltazar and former UAAP Finals MVP out of La Salle in Mike Phillips.
Troy Rosario has made the final cut as well after a long wait, and the quartet is joining a team that’s filled with the regulars, led by Justin Brownlee.
RJ Abarrientos, AJ Edu, June Mar Fajardo, Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, Troy Rosario, Carl Tamayo, and Scottie Thompson complete the squad.
