IMPRESSIVE was the performance of our youthful Gilas Pilipinas team in the Clark bubble, sweeping its assignments to top Group A of the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.
Not only did it go 3-for-3 in its games, it also scored a two-game romp of our longtime tormentor Korea, which definitely boosts the confidence for this young pool.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves and heed coach Tab Baldwin's words, that as great as the feeling of winning is, Gilas is still on its formative stages, laying down the foundation for what would be the core of the Philippine national team heading into the 2023 Fiba World Cup here.
Spin.ph, however, can't help but point out six takeaways which really stood out to us after the third window.
Dwight Ramos is legit
There's a reason why coach Chot Reyes has long coveted to secure the services of Dwight Ramos for the national team.
And in the six games he's had in the qualifiers, he definitely made believers out of everyone.
Showing that his past performances in the past windows were no fluke, the Fil-Am guard embraced the role of the go-to guy for this Philippine team, an heir apparent of sorts to the role Jayson Castro has held for the past decade.
Ramos posted 13.8 points on 43-percent shooting from deep, to go with 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.0 steals in 25.3 minutes as he controlled the tempo for Gilas in its wars against Korea, Indonesia, and Thailand.
He has unquestionably plays the part and he definitely looks the part, and if there are still doubters out there, just understand that there's more to Ramos than his face value -- that's why we can't blame some if they worship Saint Dwight.
Ange in the middle
Ange Kouame certainly doesn't fit the bill of the traditional reinforcements -- high-scoring, high-leaping, do-it-all superstars who were expected to carry both the offensive and defensive loads for the team 90 percent of the time.
But that uniqueness of the Ivory Coast-born naturalized player is just what Baldwin ordered as he envisioned his Ateneo stud to be the defensive anchor for Gilas.
Kouame did just that in this Clark window, crashing the boards and changing the opponents' shots as he impressed in his first three games wearing the national tri-colors.
The 6-foot-10 center only hauled 6.7 rebounds to his name, but his impact boxing out the opposing bigs like Korea's Ra Gun-A and Indonesia's Lester Prosper has been valuable as the Philippines won the battle of the boards for all three games.
His 10.0 points on 48-percent shooting from the field, including a 3-of-6 clip from downtown, is just a bonus for the solid game he's had, although Kouame could still bulk up a little bit to be able to bang bodies with the bigger foes come the world stage.
Change has come
Much has been written on Gilas' depth on its frontline with Kouame and Kai Sotto (more on him later) and the ability of its backcourt that the wing position is the one often overlooked.
Yet only a few people knew that Baldwin had another trick up his sleeve, converting traditional bigs in Justine Baltazar, William Navarro, and Carl Tamayo into small forwards.
Befuddling as the move was for some, it was a necessary adjustment as Gilas had to match up in size. And it turns out, it was a master stroke as the trio thrived in their roles.
Baltazar was a revelation, showcasing his three-point shooting as he went 3-of-9 from downtown as he averaged 7.7 points on and 7.3 rebounds.
Navarro, meanwhile, had his breakout in the second Korea win and tallied eight points and four boards, highlighted by his slam-and steal highlight and a chasedown block against Byeon Jun-hyeong.
Tamayo also showed great strides in his seniors team debut, nabbing 8.0 points and 2.5 rebounds as he made all of his three shots from deep while also playing solid defense.
The trio's performances were so good that it was quick to trigger opinions if Gilas has found its successors to the roles left by Gabe Norwood and Ranidel de Ocampo.
Maybe it's true that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but for the younger ones, it's certainly a different story.
Kaiju shows flashes
Questions were raised if Kai Sotto would indeed play in the Clark bubble, but it turns out, he didn't just play in a game, he played in all three.
Although there are still ways to go for the 7-foot-3 center, his numbers were encouraging to say the least as he garnered 9.3 points, 7.0 boards, and 1.3 assists in his 18.9 minutes of action.
Yes, Sotto could still build his body up to be able to battle the heftier foes, as seen with Ra and Prosper outmuscling him at times, but it's all part of the development process for the 19-year-old.
His impact may have fell a little bit short to the lofty expectations of many, but these experiences, from the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers to the upcoming Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament, should only bode well for his growth heading into his first season in Australia with the Adelaide 36ers.
Next man up
None of the Gilas players in the Clark bubble faced a tougher baptism of fire than the guards, especially with Matt Nieto and Rey Suerte both going down with injuries during the training camp.
But SJ Belangel and RJ Abarrientos exceeded expectations and displayed immense growth beyond their years that truly caught a lot of fans off guard.
Belangel, the smallest in the pool at 5-foot-10, fared admirably as he took on the role of the starting point guard and showed his class, notching 7.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. All those, however, pale in comparison to his game-winning, buzzer-beating three to sink Korea on Wednesday to take the dramatic 81-78 win.
Abarrientos, on the other hand, was an energizer bunny I'm every sense of the word, giving Gilas the spark it needs off the bench in all three of its games as the Far Eastern University guard churned out 8.3 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.3 rebounds.
Belangel and Abarrientos may still be considered as juniors to their older peers in the Gilas pool, but truly what a way for them to announce that their ready for the limelight.
In Tab we trust
Baldwin should be laughing by now given how his critics have suddenly fell silent for his choices in the pool.
It may seem as Ateneo-centric for some, with a bulk of the invitees coming from Katipunan, but the players did prove their worth for the young national team pool.
Mike Nieto, who is one of the most beleaguered players in the pool, cemented his place in the pool with his grit and effort, sneaking in for rebounds against taller foes, on top of his vocal leadership and knowledge of the system put in place.
Belangel has also stepped into the plate in lieu of the injured guards for the pool, while Navarro flexed his basketball IQ in his seamless adjustment to the wing position that made him one of the smartest players Baldwin has in his fort.
Heck, even young guns like Lebron Lopez and Geo Chiu had quality minutes in their limited time on the floor.
But more than the roster choices, it's Baldwin's system which garnered the biggest praise, with the players crediting their understanding of the nuances and their trust in one another from their extended time together at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, that enabled this three-game sweep.
Truly, in Tab we trust.
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