Gilas leaves for China sans Thompson, Kai Sotto

AN all-Filipino Gilas Pilipinas left Manila for Guandong, China on Tuesday, August 1, to participate in the 2023 Heyuan WUS International Basketball Tournament.

PBA Most Valuable Player Scottie Thompson no longer joined the team in China as he continues to recover from a metacarpal fracture on his shooting hand, which he sustained during the national squad’s Europe training camp.

The do-it-all Ginebra guard joins young big man Kai Sotto and naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame among the Gilas pool members, who are staying in Manila.

Scottie Thompson FIBA PHOTO 

The 7-foot-3 Sotto was a last-minute scratch in the pocket tournament in China as the young slotman will be focusing on rehabbing his back, which his representatives relayed to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Monday.

Brownlee, meantime, will undergo a minor ankle procedure as Gilas coach Chot Reyes said in a previous interview, while the 6-foot-11 Kouame has been loaned to Rain or Shine, which will represent the Philippines in the William Jones Cup in Taiwan.

Also not joining Gilas is Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson, who will instead arrive in Manila by August 8.

Reyes indicated that the 31-year-old sweet-shooting NBA star will be leaving Los Angeles on August 6.

The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year will have at least over two weeks to get reacquainted with Reyes’ system before Gilas makes its much-awaited 2023 FIBA World Cup debut against the Karl-Anthony Towns-led Dominican Republic at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan on August 25.

Gilas left Manila with a 14-man roster led by PBA six-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, Rhenz Abando, Chris Newsome, Japeth Aguilar, AJ Edu, Bobby Ray Parks Jr., Jamie Malonzo, Calvin Oftana, Dwight Ramos, CJ Perez, Roger Pogoy, Kiefer Ravena, Thirdy Ravena and Poy Erram.

The Philippines makes its debut game in Guangdong on Thursday, August 3, or a day later against Iran at the Heyuan Sports gymnasium. Originally, Lebanon was part of the pocket tournament, but withdrew at the last minute.

Gilas then goes up against Senegal on August 4 at the Jiangman En Ping Sports gymnasium.

The Filipinos will clash with Senegal again on August 6 at the Heyuan Sport gymnasium followed by a rematch against the Iranian the following day at the Xiaoqing Sport Center.

Gilas team manager Butch Antonio said plans after the pocket tournament in China remains “fluid,” while mentioning that an earlier request to place Puerto Rico for a scrimmage game “will not materialize.”

“The plans after the pocket tournament are still open for discussion,” Antonio told The Manila Times, just before leaving for China.

Antonio said holding a mini-camp in China could be an option.