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    COLUMN: With Thirdy and Parks out, six remain in bubble for Final 12

    Two are certainly out and 8 are assured of Gilas spots, leaving six players to fight for the last four spots
    Aug 21, 2023
    thirdy ravena, ray parks, rhenz abando, cj oftana
    spin zone

    CHICAGO - The mystery surrounding why Ray Parks and Thirdy Ravena did not play in three consecutive friendlies has been solved.

    Both have been ruled out of consideration for the Final 12 roster of Gilas Pilipinas for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, a source with knowledge of the selection process told SPIN.ph.

    READ: Gilas loses close game to Mexico sans Clarkson

    The idea of having these exhibition games is to establish team flow when the actual competition begins. And the fact that Parks and Thirdy weren't even penciled in the lineup, let alone sniff the playing floor, suggests their exclusion.

    But why Parks?

    "He must have done something or is injured," the source surmised.

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      Here's what I think.

      Since the pool is so loaded in the slot he plays, Parks was eased out because he could not be given the number of shots and minutes that his big name and level of stardom might require.

      GOOD PLAYER. BAD FIT.

      Look, Parks is a stud, a scoring machine. But in a star-studded cast, the coaching staff is looking for soldiers, guys that play roles in limited minutes. That's not Parks.

      And for that reason, he is out.

      Meanwhile here are eight names ruled safe for the World Cup festivities:

      Jordan Clarkson. Kai Sotto. Dwight Ramose. Jamie Malonzo. Scottie Thompson. Japeth Aguilar. June Mar Fajardo and AJ Edu.

      ray parks

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      That leaves Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Kiefer Ravena and Rhenz Abando in the bubble for the final four Gilas spots.

      Of the two cuts remaining out of the six names, Oftana is the most tethering considering that he is arguably the less-seasoned in the group and he plays behind more credentialed candidates.

      Kiefer Ravena, the most polarizing player in the pool, is definitely in the running because he provides stability at the point guard position in the event that Iskati doesn't perform up to par after just recently coming back from a broken hand.

      I GOT KIEF

      For whatever it's worth, Kief makes my Final 12. He is an established internationalist with a deep familiarity of coach Chot Reyes' system. Kief is also a playmaker with the facility to hit the shots in the big moments.

      I had initially ruled out Abando for his lack of defensive prowess but he has since won me over in these exhibitions. He reminds me of his greatness at UST where his ability to play larger than his size and the shot-making skills were highlighted.

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        I am told the coaches love him. He is humble, quiet and would happily play whatever opportunity he gets without qualms.

        Pogoy has been shooting well. But is he healthy enough?

        Newsome and CJ make strong arguments for inclusion. But can they direct the offense, which is paramount?

        Like everyone who has a list, I struggled with mine. If this were an NCAA bracket, the Parks elimination tore mine to shreds.

        There are no right or wrong answers here. It's simply a matter of preference.

        Who you got?

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