#PlayMeOrTradeMe

Nice shirt.
(Photo credit to the owner)

Indefinite suspension.

That is the punishment handed down by STAR Hotshots' management on their young small forward Allein Maliksi, after the former UST Tiger posted (now deleted) one of Nike's statement shirts on his personal Instagram account.

Let this be a lesson to all millenials: social media is not a platform for you to be ranting about the work place. Specially if your account is public AND more so if you are a celebrity of sorts like Maliksi.

Don't blame the refs

Fat Andray wasn't a match for fit Yi
(Photo credit to the owner)

After all that has happened in the recently concluded gold medal match of the 2015 FIBA Asia tournament between eventual champions China and our very own Gilas Pilipinas, we feel that some circles are selling the Chinese short because of what is now being called as dubious officiating.

See, even before the match started our minds were already conditioned not to expect a fair fight. Then came Manny V. Pangilinan's series of tweets about how the team bus was delayed/ eventually replaced, the Philippine contingent having difficulty getting tickets and even of how our basket was surprisingly being "fixed" during warm-ups while the Chinese were already busy doing their lay-up rounds.

We were in China, the crowd was already hostile from the start. The Chinese were never known to be the hospitable bunch when it came to foreigners seeking glory in their lands. What did we expect? Some Filipino hospitality? For them to lay out the red carpet for their "enemies?" No. It was poor sports/ gamesmanship, sure. But to the Chinese, they took everything that they could to ensure victory-- both on and off the court. Because there was no one who stood up to say that "hey, this is wrong (we are looking at you, FIBA)," then the Chinese just went about their business at the expense or every single Filipino basketball fans' hopes and dreams.

Salamat Gilas 3

#PUSO
(Photo credit to the owner)

Mga kababayan ko
Dapat lang malaman niyo
Bilib ako sa kulay ko
Ako ay Pilipino
Kung may itim o may puti 
Mayroon naman kayumanggi
Isipin mo na kaya mong
Abutin ang iyong minimithi 

- Magalona, F.

Tapos na ang FIBA Asia 2015 kung saan naiuwi ng ating Gilas 3 ang pilak habang ang host country na Tsina ang siyang nag uwi ng gintong medalya. Marami tayong pwedeng sabihin tungkol sa nasabing laro na katatapos lang, pero hindi tayo ganong klaseng basketball fans. Hindi tayo casual lang na biglang sumuporta sa koponan natin kasi nakapasok sa Finals. Manalo o matalo, lamyado o hindi, suporta pa din tayo. Kaya sa Tsina, saludo kami sa mga manlalaro niyo na para bang nagbabadya na kayo na muli ang magiging Asian basketball powerhouse sa susunod na mga taon.

Are you not entertained?

EASY! EASY!
(Photo credit to FIBA.com)

After all the drama and hardships leading into the formation of the team, Gilas 3 is back in the semifinals of the FIBA Asia tournament wherein we have a realistic chance of defending our precious "golden" silver or better yet-- winning it all en route to a seat in the 2016 Rio Olympics to do battle with the world's best basketball players.

But first, we need to beat Japan tomorrow before we even entertain thoughts of facing either defending champions and longtime tormentors Iran or the "rebuilt" basketball dynasty that is China.

If the game versus Lebanon is to be of any indication, you could say that we are on the right path though there are some things that we still need to work on if our goal indeed is to not simply enjoy a podium finish but rather facing global basketball superpowers like US, Spain and Argentina, among others. Today, Jayson Castro and Andray Blatche proved that they are arguably the best 1-2 punch in all of Asian basketball, maybe rivalling/ besting Iran's Nikkhah Bahrami and Hamed Haddadi even. Castro was just in a world of his own: finishing with 25 points, blitzing into the lane and besting his young Lebanese counterpart. Blatche? Though he started the tournament out of shape, the 6"11 reinforcement is starting to show flashes of his natural form by dropping 25 points and 17 rebounds on a Lebanese side that just didn't have anyone to match him with.

Blatche is big, quick, strong and finesse but at the same time he doesn't seem to mind getting his hands dirty when called upon.

87 - 73

The Beast, unleashed
(Photo credit FIBA.com)

There are no words at the moment to best describe how our very own Gilas Pilipinas beat the reigning FIBA Asia champions Iran in yesterday's 2nd round match-up of the very same tournament.

On one side, Iran was blowing through the competition by a margin of at least 40 points. They were running their sets, dominating from start to finish, and doing it all despite the relatively subpar efforts from resident stars Nikkhah Bahrami and Hamed Haddadi (Mahdi Kamrani and up-and-coming star power forward Mohammad Hassanzadeh were doing much of the damage early on for German Coach Dirk Bauermann). They were simply that good.

For our Philippine team, well, we started the FIBA Asia tournament by losing a big lead-- and the game to then unranked Palestine. We proceeded to blow out Hong Kong and Kuwait, as was expected, but then struggled against a Japanese side to start the 2nd round-- a team that Iran basically pummelled into submission by a margin of more than 30 points. Oh, and Andray Blatche hurt his ankle in that same game, a night versus this heavyweight match-up with Iran. Also, we have yet to really see Dondon Hontiveros, JC Intal and Terrence Romeo light guys up from beyond the arc.

So yeah, forgive us for not liking our chances against Iran.

A time to believe

"May nag-text, si Junemar."
(Photo credit to FIBA.com)

You'll have to forgive me for being unable to provide post-game, couch potato analysis of Gilas 3's initial three games into the FIBA Asia tournament currently being held in some half-empty gym somewhere in China. This proud OFW was on a much-needed, first-ever annual vacation leave (to Manila) and spent most of his (days and) nights shopping, eating pork and or keeping in step with the #AlDub phenomena.

Rest assured however that we were still able to follow all three matches: the shock loss to Palestine and the expected consecutive drubbing of Hong Kong and Kuwait.

While we didn't end up as the Group Leader, we are still fortunate enough to make it into the next round which is the start of the knockout stage. Don't expect Gilas 3 to take opponents lightly from here on out, now that they had their pants pulled from under them their first game into the tournament. No, we fully expect Coach Tab Baldwin to keep pressing our guys to play at a high level since we firmly believe that his job is also on the line.

You do not get the services of Andray Blatche, and whoever this mystery US scout is that was added to the team just recently, to lose to an unranked Palestine basketball team that only had 3 legitimate, top-notch basketball players.

In the next round, we're grouped with Gold medalists Iran, followed by Japan, India, Palestine and Hong Kong. Of the teams, Iran is most likely to secure top seed while Japan, Palestine and India are possible sleepers (with Palestine already owning a victory on us).

Still, there's a lot of hope for Gilas 3 to make it into the next round should we continue to play heads' up basketball.

Calvin Abueva has been a true revelation here; when he wasn't even considered by Coach Tab Baldwin for the team. The man known as "The Beast" has cut down on his theatrics and simplified his game back to when he was playing college ball at San Sebastian-- attack the rim basketball on offense, tenacious and intense on defense.

This has allowed Coach Tab to relegate former Gilas defensive/ energy guy Gabe Norwood to the bench (keeping him fresh for the next round/s), with newbies Matt Rosser and JC Intal also looking for minutes behind Abueva. Speaking of which, Rosser has provided Gilas with a defensive spark as an awesome weakside/ help shotblocker while Intal has proven himself worthy of his spot by hitting the occasional jumpshot/ three pointer when presented him. Sure, he still makes some bone headed plays here and there owing to his hesitant style of play, but it's not like he's a complete dud when he's on the court.

Andray Blatche's conditioning is still a concern, since he seems to be good for only 20-25 minutes of solid play. Versus Palestine, he started off hot and went cold in the 2nd half-- while others would argue that it was because Palestine went exclusively to playing zone defense, Blatche made it easier for them since he was hardly moving without the ball. In the next two matches against Hong Kong and Kuwait, Blatche picked his spots and sizzled more in the 2nd half but not after making some silly fouls which were obviously meant to get him subbed out of the game for a breather.

Make no mistake about it, Gilas needs Blatche to win versus Iran. And Korea. And China. And those souped up Middle Eastern teams that we might run into if we are to make it to the next round.

As for our bigs: Sonny Thoss, Ranidel de Ocampo, Asi Taulava and Marc Pingris-- they are all proving that there is life for Philippine basketball sans 2x PBA MVP Junemar Fajardo. Sure, Fajardo's the definite future of the game, but don't count out the old standard bearers just yet. Thoss has been moving his feet quite well in this tournament while proving to be a heavy force in the paint on both offense and defense, de Ocampo has embraced his new role as the resident enforcer, Pingris has been on and off due to foul trouble while Taulava continues to shine in limited bursts. With Blatche at the helm, we don't really need any of our local bigs to dominate the ball or call for isolations, so we don't really miss Fajardo as much as most of his fans would care to argue for.

Now about our guards... we're stuck with Dondon Hontiveros. He's been okay, some vintage streaks here and there, but well... it was either him or Gary David. And we've had enough of David when he suited up for Gilas 2.

As for Jayson Castro, he's currently our top scorer with 15.7 ppg (Blatche is second with 15.3 ppg). What's nice about Castro is he's doing it in a very controlled manner-- he's no longer just barrelling into the lane for kamikaze drives and or the occasional kickout pass/ turnover. He's taking confident threes, driving when the opponent is sleeping and just bullying guys here and there when he feels like it. Basically, Castro has evolved into the point guard that we've all prayed he'd be (Jimmy Alapag's feel for the game and IQ plus Mark Caguioa's explosive scoring ability).

Then there's Golden Boy Terrence Romeo, who will probably see an out-of-this-world surge in popularity once his Gilas 3 campaign is said and done (if he hasn't already). Despite playing behind Castro and continuing to figure out his spots versus complex, "one-on-one forays unfriendly" zone defenses, Romeo still managed to be the team's 3rd best scorer with 13.7 ppg while not alienating any of his seniors.

Moving forward, Gilas needs to stay focused and not let up. This team is still not there cohesion-wise. The system that they're running... they often drop it in favor of one on one plays. Against a well-disciplined team like Iran and Korea, who basically run the same things from start to finish, this could spell our defeat. As far as breaking zone defenses... our shooters need to make shots. OR, Blatche, Abueva and Castro need to break it with elite-level plays.

What we love about Gilas 3 however, as compared to Gilas 1 and 2, is its consistency in terms of defense and effort. While we can't always score, we can count on Abueva, Rosser, Norwood, Pingris and Castro to come up with stops and lock guys up. We'll see how our defenders fare from here on out with the level of competition going up in the coming days.

Gold, silver or bronze.

Laban Pilipinas!

All In

There is more to these two words than just being a new marketing campaign for a local mobile network just so happens to be footing the bill for Gilas 3. These words, though short and straight to the point, reflect how every living Filipino basketball fan- regardless of PBA allegiance, should feel about the Gilas 3 team that is on its way to China for the coming FIBA Asia tournament.

Can the media do us all a big favor and stop featuring outsiders? Can they please stop quoting those who chose not to play for flag and country owing to whatever? We do not care about them, they will not be playing this September 23. They are nuisances, collectively, since they chose not to be part of the task at hand. They chose not to speak up, they chose to sit this one out, and even if we have every right to crucify and chastise them, the mere fact that we aren't, should be enough. So please, we do not care if Junemar Fajardo wants to visit the team in their final practices. Or if L.A. Tenorio, Marcio Lassiter and even Paul Lee get the green light.

The focus should be on Gilas 3.

Are we there yet?

Riding in Tandem: Asia Beware
(Photo credit to the owner)

If Gilas 3's silver medal finish in the just concluded 34th William Jones Cup in Chinese Taipei is to serve as a preview of things to come, considering that we didn't have the services of naturalized center Andray Blatche, then there is real hope for a podium finish come the FIBA Asia tournament just a few weeks from now.

Again, it would be wise to not expect Gilas 3 to win the gold outright and qualify for the 2016 Olympics. But salvaging maybe a bronze or silver isn't that out of the question even with a roster robbed of 2x PBA MVP Junemar Fajardo, shooters Marcio Lassiter and Jeff Chan and the on-court wizardy of Paul Lee.

Here's a quick post-tournament review of our guys' performances, what they need to work on and if they can make the final cut of 12 players (plus 2 reserves).

Terrence Romeo: Grade A

The man who literally stole the limelight and hearts not only of the Filipinos but also of the Taiwanese crowd (hi Jenny Yu!). It seems as though Romeo is indeed quite the fast learner, after his dreadful Estonia campaign wherein he tried his streetball approach only to fail miserably. He's either attacking the basket or taking the 3. If there's no room to operate, he doesn't spend too much time with the ball and simply rotates it to someone else.

Jayson Castro: Grade B

Castro was solid but not stellar, still it was good enough for him to take home a Mythical Five selection in the Jones Cup which says a lot about how the Asian basketball community looks at his play. A lot of folks got the "cruise control" feel from Castro in this one, which we minded at first but big picture-wise, considering that Castro is an injury waiting to happen all by himself, we'll take it for now. Basta pag FIBA Asia na, ratratan na ulit.

Jimmy Alapag: Grade INC

Injured quads. Got to shake of that rust cap. Didn't play enough minutes (or games, in general) to really merit a score here. Whatever, we all know what Captain Jimmy is all about-- and even if he has stepped away from the game for a few months, we can always count on the Mighty Mouse when it counts.

Gary David: Grade B

While David wasn't lighting the competition up per se, he still looked a lot better in this Jones Cup than the one we saw in 2013.A lot of folks are already saying that David's spot on the roster is on the line with guys like Rosser and Intal in the mix, but if you ask us, there's always a need for a creator/ shooter specially in international meets.

Dondon Hontiveros: Grade B

Sure, when Hontiveros is cold he's basically cold the entire game, but even if that's the case you can still always count on his superb perimeter defense despite the wear and tear. With the lack of natural shooters on the roster, David and Hontiveros are practically locks on that final 12.

Matt Rosser: Grade B

Jack-of-all-trades type who can defend and pester guys from 1 to 3. His offense was a little shaky in a few games, but when he commits to the drive and teardrop he's basically automatic. His only flaw is when he half-asses the drive, and looks to pass, he usually telegraphs it by slowing down two or three steps to look for anyone to kick it out to.

Gabe Norwood: Grade B

We saw glimpses of FIBA Gabe here and there, was probably challenged by the number of wings Coach Tab brought along for this trip. Anyway, we're not even worried for Gabe at this point. His experience, athleticism and decision making still makes him the best option to play both roles of point-forward and star stopper.

JC Intal: Grade C

We love JC Intal's effort and commitment for flag and country. But he's still not the same old JC Intal from Ateneo. When he just chooses to score, rebound or pass, he looks like a natural. When he catches the ball and overthinks the game, tries to be fancy, tries to create for another-- he just messes it up and looks like an amateur. Hopefully, this Gilas run will help him continue going back to his "Rocket" ways. 

Ranidel de Ocampo: Grade A

Sure he started the tournament sidelined, but de Ocampo quickly showed why he's arguably the best damn power forward in the PBA today once he joined the madness that is Gilas 3. From knocking down the 3 balls, making basic pick and roll/ pop plays to even delivering the occasional wayward People's Elbow to Jones Cup fugazis-- RdO's already locked in on the FIBA Asia tournament.

Marc Pingris: Grade B (sentimental A)

While Ping didn't really have one of his signature defensive games. much has to be said about his overall commitment to the Gilas program. Right now, we're hearing news of him possibly being traded by his PBA ball club as a form of "punishment" for choosing to play for Gilas 3 which could be destructive for him legacy/ career-wise (specially if they simply choose to not play him at all instead of trading him left and right). But Pingris has made it known that he doesn't care about the politics, as long as he can proudly serve flag and country.

Troy Rosario: Grade C

This kid is the future. Works the baseline, rebounds, hustles, can even be relied upon to keep in step with Asian small forwards from time to time thanks to his solid lateral footwork. We didn't see a lot of Rosario in this tournament, but he'll definitely be one of the anchors for the Gilas program in the next couple of years (specially if he can develop a pocket post move or two).

Aldrech Ramos: Grade D

Ramos has the looks and the stretch 4 skills, but the commitment and heart on the court needs to show. We love how he's a part of the program now, if only to expose him to star caliber teammates and competition. What he does with the whole Gilas learning program moving forward in his basketball career is entirely up to him.

Moala Tautuaa: Grade A

Sweet baby Jeezus this dude is a monster! That putback jam on Quincy Davis' poor bald noggin', going coast to coast with ease for a man of his size and strength... basically got us singing: MOVE B, GET OUT THE WAY! Oh, he's not eligible for FIBA Asia unless Andray Blatche doesn't suit up-- which is an alternate reality that we don't want to happen.

Sonny Thoss: Grade C

Whatever happened to Thoss? The way he's been playing the last two years, you'd think that a Monstar from Michael Jordan's mid 90s starrer- Space Jam stole his talent or something. Sure, we saw some flashes, but overall Thoss looked slow and sluggish. Hell, his 42-year old, 6"10 xx lbs. teammate definitely out-hustled and out-worked from where we are seated.

Asi Taulava: Grade A

One more time, for flag and country. Taulava has paid his dues and then some. He has played for Pilipinas and carried the cudgels for us after Marlou Aquino with no complaints, even if there are still some circles who would call out his true citizenship. The nice thing about Taulava right now is that, he's at the point in his career wherein he can just play basketball and not worry about being scouted by NBA agents or what not. The door for that has long been closed. He's there to help Pilipinas win and make history. Sure, his offense is definitely limited, but he's playing more like the blue collar guy we've all needed/ wanted him to be.

Calvin Abueva: Grade A

No scouting reports here for you, all we can say is that he is just as effective anywhere he plays and in whatever role you ask him to perform. Romeo stole the show, Castro was the established star, but Abueva definitely is going to be the X-factor/ game-changer that not a lot of Asian teams have on their rosters.

There are still some questions with Gilas 3 such as if and when Andray Blatche returns, will he be in shape and if Jordan Clarkson is (1) FIBA eligible (2) allowed by the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers to play more than 3 games and (3) how his addition will affect overall team chemistry given the number of days left on the calendar until the FIBA Asia tournament.

Laban Pilipinas!

The Learning Curve

"Yo Jim, who's the kid with the blonde hair?"
(Photo credit to the owner)

First and foremost, it would be very wise indeed to temper expectations.

If you've been following both this blog and our Twitter page @kilikilishot, you'd probably crucify us for asking Gilas 3 to try and win big now in the ongoing 2015 William Jones Cup (and continue to do so en route to FIBA Asia). But, since this is the blog behind the Twitter account and here we are allowed to put more thought in what he type on the keyboard, we should all take a step back and belive in the process-- even if it means losing more games from here until September 23, when the FIBA Asia tournament commences.

Terrence Romeo, Jimmy Alapag, Jayson Castro, Gary David, Dondon Hontiveros, Calvin Abueva, JC Intal, Gabe Norwood, Matt Rosser, Aldrech Ramos, Marc Pingris, Ranidel de Ocampo, Moala Tautuaa, Troy Rosario, Sonny Thoss and Asi Taulava.

Those are the guys that we brought to Chinese Taipei for the Jones Cup, with naturalized center Andray Blatche attending to some personal issues back in the United States. Head coach Tab Baldwin has been tinkering with his line-up so far, Yeng Guiao-style, in hopes of developing on-court chemistry among certain players who you would otherwise not expect to even look one another in the eye.

Against all odds

Talk about having to earn your keep
(Photo credit to the owner)

The late Richard Nixon, the 37th president of the United States, was once quoted for saying that "the strongest steel goes through the hottest fire." While we're not entirely sure that Gilas 3 has gone through the "hottest" of ordeals (yet, or maybe they're in the middle of it), they sure as hell aren't enjoying the cool breeze as they prepare for the FIBA Asia tournament this coming September 23.

Consider the following "challenges" that Gilas 3 has endured/ is enduring: the continued SMC player drama; Andray Blatche being overweight, losing an uncle and needing to tend to his ailing mother; Kelly Williams, on the very first official practice day for Gilas 3, tearing his MCL; JC Intal losing his father-in-law; expected injuries/ player-maintenance and the team's overall inability to practice as one, complete (and healthy) unit.

It would be very wise to temper all expectations, folks.

An uphill climb

The Beast, unleashed.
(Photo credit to the owner)

Here's a simple challenge for the everyday white collar, suit-wearing employee:

The most common and widely accepted way of tying a necktie is the everyday man's four-in-hand knot. You know it as your "go to" move when you're late for a meeting and don't really mind an uneven knot for as long as it looks like a God damn necktie tied around your neck. Did you know that there are 17 more ways (probably even more) to tie it? One of the more complicated ones is called the Christensen knot.

Now imagine entering a necktie-tying speed contest, versus natural Christensen knot users, while you only learned the blasted thing about a week ago.

The above scenario pretty much captures Gilas 3's current predicament, losing 2 games to unranked FIBA teams over in a pocket tournament in Estonia, somewhere in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. The first loss was to the Netherlands, 62-89, wherein Gilas 3 was pretty much made to look like a bunch of amateurs that have never organized correct basketball. The second was against host Estonia, 80-90, wherein Gilas 3 looked like they were able to adjust to some of the things that were going on but in reality it was more of the host country opting to sit their stars in the 4th quarter and take their "foot off the gas" so to speak.

This is going to be a process.

For flag and country

Against all odds
(Photo credit to the owner)

While we do not condone the actions of those who begged off from being part of the Gilas 3 men's basketball team, we cannot and will not crucify them for it either

As we have previously mentioned, we will just keep moving forward with the names that we have. From top to bottom, "PBA wish list" aside, we are looking at Jayson Castro, Terrence Romeo, Gary David, Dondon Hontiveros, Matt Rosser, Calvin Abueva, Gabe Norwood, JC Intal, Ranidel de Ocampo, Troy Rosario, Moala Tautuaa, Aldrech Ramos, Sonny Thoss, Asi Taulava and Andray Blatche.

You could throw in retired/unretired Jimmy Alapag, and you are looking at 16 proud and willing basketball players who should be celebrated rather than questioned.

Gilas 3

No Kraken? No problem!
(Photo credits to the owner)

The Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) has finally sent an official request to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for the following players to be part of head coach Tab Baldwin's Gilas 3 men's basketball team:

Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, Gary David, Gabe Norwood, Aldrech Ramos, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Kelly Williams, Asi Taulava, Terrence Romeo, JC Intal, Sonny Thoss, Dondon Hontiveros, Calvin Abueva, June Mar Fajardo* (injured/recuperating), Marc Pingris* (on official leave-family matters), LA Tenorio* (health reasons)

* - already begged off

Ladies and gentlemen, your Gilas 3 (more or less) for the coming FIBA Asia tournament this September 23 in China.

Waiting for Gilas 3

What is head coach Tab Baldwin and everyone else from Gilas Pilipinas waiting for? Where is the pool of available PBA players? Why are we not hearing of any practices, tune-up games and pocket tournaments while the rest of Asia is busy with the very same things? Will Andray Blatche be able to suit up, CBA contract and all?

As we write this piece, we have come to the realization that perhaps the focus of Gilas 3 should be to simply outscore opponents rather than trying to find the right balance between offense and defense. Don't get us wrong, we're not trying to sell you on the idea of abandoning defense altogether, we're just saying that perhaps we should go for broke and maximize our scoring prowess rather than always trying to match-up to our opponents.

Instead of bringing in two way players who are average on offense and defense but acceptable for both, why not bring in prime offensive weapons instead? No matter how you put it, basketball it still decided by the team that is able to score more than his opponent. Fact.

#AskKKS on Gilas 3

Because one of our readers asked/suggested/demanded that we should hear their ideas out and discuss certain issues instead of just picking topics by ourselves, here is the first official instalment of #AskKKS.

@PBALOL asked the following:

Win FIBA Asia Gold.

Seriously, if we are talking about what head coach Tab Baldwin and his Gilas 3 will need to accomplish to surpass Gilas 2... well then, it would have to be this very tall order which is definitely a lot easier said than done.

KKS Gilas 3.0 (Part 3)

The future of Philippine basketball
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Ladies and gentlemen, our KKS Gilas 3.0 starters:

C Junemar Fajardo
Gilas coach Tab Baldwin didn't have to beat around the bush on Fajardo's inclusion. As it stands, Fajardo is the present and future of Philippine basketball much like Yao Ming was for China and Hamed Haddadi is for Iran. He is the pillar in which the program will be anchored on for the foreseeable future, alongside fellow giant Greg Slaughter. In the instances wherein he played in FIBA World, Fajardo showed that he has the smarts and muscle to hold his own in the paint against legitimate NBA big men.

KKS Gilas 3.0 (Part 1)

In this three-part series, we want to discuss the 12 men who we believe deserve to be on the final Gilas 3.0 roster headed by coach Tab Baldwin. First off are the 11th and 12th players who we feel should be more of the "utility" kind in terms of being able to contribute in so many ways and not just being typecast into one specific role (re: scorer, defender, rebounder).

Though the 11th and 12th guys don't always get to play or enjoy heavy minutes, we feel that the way the sport is being played nowadays is to make full use of every single man on the roster. This way, scouting reports in short tournaments (such as FIBA's) is thrown out the window because teams are unable to readily prepare for all 12 guys on the court. Against two, three players sure. But having to plan and set up defenses to combat 12 individual styles?

Not sure if even the best coaching minds could solve that one.

So without further ado, here's our pick for Gilas 3.0's 11th and 12th men: