Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect the news that Roosevelt Adams did not make the final 12-man roster.
The cast is almost set for a blockbuster matchup in Beirut, as the final 12-man unit flying to Lebanon for the start of the fourth window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers was revealed.
Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto headline the pool and are joined by Japan B.League imports Dwight Ramos, Ray Parks, and brothers Kiefer and Thirdy Ravena; University of the Philippines star Carl Tamayo; and PBA standouts Calvin Oftana of NLEX and Barangay Ginebra's Scottie Thompson and Japeth Aguilar.
Also making the cut are Meralco's Chris Newsome, and NorthPort's Jamie Malonzo, all of whom were recently given clearance by FIBA to play as locals.
A tough assignment awaits on August 25 in Lebanon, where the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup silver medalists host Gilas in Group E. The Cedars will look to continue an impressive stretch of success that has seen them only lose twice in 18 FIBA games since 2019. Gilas will return to Manila on August 29 to host Saudi Arabia at the Mall of Asia Arena in a faceoff where the home team should be heavily favored.
ESPN analyzed the pool and provided some insight as to what each player could bring to the table against the Cedars.
GUARDS
Jordan Clarkson
The 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year is the obvious crown jewel and is expected to be the focal point on offense for Gilas. Obviously having a world-class scorer to lead (or in some instances, bail out) the attack against a Lebanon squad that posted the fifth-best defensive rating at the FIBA Asia Cup is a massive luxury unlike any other. Brace for a show in Beirut.
Chris Newsome
Newsome is a rare player at the PBA level -- one who can act as a lead or secondary playmaker, create his own shot inside the arc, and take on some of the toughest perimeter assignments on defense. The 32-year-old's perimeter shooting can be unreliable, but his control around the rim, midrange skill, and smart man defense should translate immediately in his Gilas debut. He shot 60 percent at the basket and 49.5 percent from midrange last conference -- both well above league average. Ball-handlers in the pick-and-roll managed to create only 0.76 points per possession (PPP) when guarded by Newsome, a tad below league average. He's a patient table-setter in Meralco, but Newsome won't have to do a ton of lifting as the main facilitator with so many guards on this roster.
Dwight Ramos
Ramos' blend of size, craft and stability as a secondary ball-handler and scorer makes him a compelling, no-brainer choice on any Gilas roster. A shin injury sidelined the 23-year-old in the Asia Cup, where he was sorely missed, but fortunately he's recovered fast enough to return to the fold. One concern might be his efficiency; Ramos can get hot enough to carry a huge scoring load as shown a lot of times with Gilas and with Toyama in the B.League, but he has also been streaky.
Kiefer Ravena
The elder Ravena sibling has been a Rorschach test for how fans view point guards, but there's no denying how good he is. His Asia Cup campaign wasn't his best showing in terms of overall production, but even then, the guile, the perceptive vision, and the timely shot-making stood out. As the best point guard on this squad, expect a healthy dose of Ravena breaking down defenses on the ball with his probing and passing while lighting them up off the ball. In the B.League, Ravena scored a solid 0.88 PPP when attacking as a pick-and-roll ball handler, a healthy 1.02 PPP when driving off the catch, and an elite 1.23 PPP on catch-and-shoot opportunities while shooting a blistering 46.7 percent on corner 3-pointers. The defense will be an issue at times, but that's nothing a good backline can't help amend.
Thirdy Ravena
The younger Ravena brother excels with the ball in his hands -- he was an above average operator at the pick-and-roll last season with San-En and in isolation over his last six FIBA games. But Thirdy's issue is that does not get a lot of points off of cuts and his perimeter shooting remains inconsistent. A couple of things work in his favor: he's a relentless rim-pressuring threat and a fine defender at the FIBA level, where opponents shot 37.8 percent from the field against Thirday. When he's on, he's on; in two World Cup qualifying games against New Zealand and India last February, Ravena averaged 15.0 points on 46.9 percent shooting, including a 41.7 percent from deep.
Scottie Thompson
In 2019, Thompson pulled out of the World Cup pool because he felt he was "not ready to compete internationally." Since then he has snagged the 2021 PBA MVP award and has developed into one of the league's premier two-way threats. He's more comfortable with the ball in his hands; last conference, the 29-year-old guard posted above average marks on the pick-and-roll (0.9 PPP) and off handoffs (1.35 PPP) while remaining sterling as a cutter (1.23 PPP) and in transition (1.15 PPP). His 3-point shooting has taken a dip from a career-best figure last year, but Thompson continued to let it fly from deep (career-high 5.1 attempts) and remained a viable catch-and-shoot threat (1.0 PPP). Defensively, he continues to stump opposing ball-handlers. Thompson's far from complete, but now is definitely the best time to test if he can play at the FIBA level.
WINGS/FORWARDS
Roosevelt Adams
Miscast as a power forward in Terrafirma, the free agent might slide down a position or two and thrive under the right environment if he had made the final 12. In the little that we've seen of Adams (24.5 minutes in 22 games) in the PBA, he has shown that he can leverage the length and the physical tools to be a solid defender while already boasting a tremendous shooting stroke. With the Dyip, the Arizona native buried an impressive 38.2 percent of his shots from deep on 4.6 attempts -- proof that a legitimate floor spacer and scorer is waiting to be unleashed. While Adams did not make the cut for the tough Lebanon match, he certainly merits a look in future Gilas pools.
Jamie Malonzo
Getting Malonzo reclassified as a local is massive for Gilas, who are getting a hell of a defensive ace. In three conferences played in the PBA, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged over a steal and a block per game. He's incredibly versatile and causes a ton of damage in roles as a man or help defender. Per InStat, he grades out as an elite stopper on almost every play type, and players last conference shot just 33.9 percent with him as the primary defender. This was good for the second-lowest mark among players who have contested at least 100 shots. But his offense needs work. Aside from catch-and-shoot shots (where even his touch can get erratic) Malonzo is not much of a halfcourt player and mostly takes advantage of scoring opportunities in transition. Against a Lebanon team that has a bunch of offensive threats led by Asia Cup MVP Wael Arakji, having a defensive linchpin like Malonzo be handy. With a bunch of guys who can create opportunities for him, his offensive weaknesses can be overlooked.
Ray Parks
There's really no room for discussion here: Parks is the best two-way wing that the Philippines has today. He's savvy and hyper-efficient on offense, where he's able to get his shot off from a standstill or on movement anywhere in the half court. He's heady and versatile enough on defense to take on guards and fellow wings alike. The only knock against him is his playmaking, but that's not his main thrust. What more can you ask from someone who's lethal in transition (1.44 PPP), a dangerous shooter (1.11 PPP) and driver (1.1 PPP) off the catch, and is also able to defend opposing primaries with ease on most nights? Parks' production was elite in the Asia Cup, and there's no reason to believe he's about to let up in another tour of duty with Gilas.
Calvin Oftana
Oftana is ahead of schedule. After showing encouraging flashes in his first two PBA conferences, the 6-5 forward repaid NLEX's belief by taking a huge step to being the man for the Road Warriors. He can stand to grow more comfortable with the ball consistently (aside from post-ups, where he's already one of the league's best in limited touches), but being an efficient and valuable finisher off of opportunities created by his teammates bodes well for his current and future outlook on the national team. Numbers say Oftana is good defensively and has held opponents below league average in numerous play types.
BIGS
Japeth Aguilar
With Clarkson taking up the naturalized center spot, Gilas will be missing the benefits of having a natural rim protector like Ange Kouame. Fortunately, Aguilar is there to replicate that impact. On offense, the 6-9 big man is an exceptional roll man (1.5 PPP) and cutter (1.39 PPP) who has a soft touch around the rim. Aguilar also runs the floor well and can extend his offense to the midrange, where he shot a solid 44.6 percent last conference. The defense is where he truly shines; with Aguilar manning the paint, opponents have only made 38.7 percent of their shots within 10 feet of the rim -- more than 11.0 points lower than league average. Some issues prevent Aguilar from being the perfect international 5 -- he's not much of a passer, and he's not completely tenable when dragged out to the perimeter. But on a team with so many initiators, Aguilar only really has to do a couple of things well.
Kai Sotto
A lot has been said already in this space about Sotto's abilities; it's now a matter of playing and producing on the court. He has not competed since the NBL season ended in April, which doesn't seem ideal for a young prospect that needs all the reps that he can get. If he's raring for a tough challenge to get him back on track, Sotto is in luck. In Beirut he will be thrown into the fire immediately against Lebanon, which, aside from having Arakji, also has one of the toughest, most versatile frontline rotations in Asia today.
Carl Tamayo
One of the most tantalizing young prospects in the Philippines today is set to get needed reps on the FIBA stage against a high-caliber opponent. Much has already been made of Tamayo's ability to create his own offense, as well as his impeccable hands on defense, but fans should take a closer look at his passing going forward. In the previous Asia Cup, as well as in collegiate preseason tournaments, Tamayo has shown glimpses of better processing on the fly, in short roll situations, from the post, or in live-dribble situations. His further growth would allow him to perform well in various roles for the team, and fostering this versatility could only lead to good things for Gilas.
Data in this article are sourced from InStat and from "Stats by Ryan" on Tiebreaker Times.