The Philippine Team has accomplished what we all felt was near impossible—to qualify for this year's edition of the FIBA World Cup. After a controversial brawl that saw the majority of our roster sidelined by suspensions and two heartbreaking losses here at home, we managed to get one of the few slots reserved for the Asian region. And while we're excited for September when we face off against the world's best, we are also a bit wary of what comes next.
Our roster now is full of players who are 30 years old or over. And at that point, the inevitable decline in what you can do on the professional level starts. In the last stage of qualifying, only Thirdy Ravena, RR Pogoy, and Troy Rosario were below 30 . Of those three, only Ravena will be below 30 when we automatically qualify and compete in the 2023 edition of the global tournament.
Of all the players we will presumably lose to old age, Andray Blatche, who will be 37 by then, will probably be the biggest (literally and figuratively). And while the SBP is understandably focused on the upcoming tournament, it also wouldn't hurt to start looking for the next player to reinforce our squad. Here are five players we think could realistically take Blatche's place:
1. Justin Brownlee
Brownlee is going to be 35 years old in 2023. But in terms of immediately learning the system and having chemistry with the local pro players, he is going to be our best bet. Junemar Fajardo has to improve and Kai Sotto has to develop for this to work since Brownlee is not going to play the center position like Blatche and Douthit. But with a decent outside shot and good clutch performance, Brownlee is still going to be an asset, even if it's for only a single run.
2. Isaiah Austin
Isaiah Austin is an NBA-level talent. Had he not developed Marfan syndrome, he would have been drafted in the first round along with the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid, and Aaron Gordon. He has since been cleared for professional basketball and, at only 26 years old, can be part of Team Pilipinas for a longer time. He's already proven he can ball with the Philippine Team and once gave us a stat line of 37 points, 15 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 blocks while playing for then Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas.
3. Bright Akhuetie
After leading the UP Fighting Maroons to its first UAAP Finals appearance in over 30 years, it only seems right to include Bright Akhuetie in this conversation. The big man has been steady since his NCAA days, being named as part of the Mythical Five in both of his years with Perpetual and has carried that solid performance to the UAAP where he won the MVP plum. He has experience wearing the Philippine jersey as part of the 2016 FIBA 3x3 competition, making his transition to the main roster more than a remote possibility.
4. Greg Smith
There are many PBA imports we can tap as our naturalized player for the 2023 tournament. One of them, and possibly the best choice, is Greg Smith. While he might not have made a huge impact during his stint in the NBA, being around the league (including the NBA G-League) for five years still makes him one of the most qualified players we can naturalize. His experience also includes playing around the world in countries such as Mexico, Istanbul, and Japan. While playing for the Blackwater Elite in the PBA, he expressed his willingness to be part of the Philippine Men's Basketball program.
5. Angelo Kouame
Thirdy Ravena has cracked the Philippine Men's Basketball team and already has one highlight block (that we believe was not a foul) in his short stint. But there is another Blue Eagle that we'd love to see with him there and that is Angelo Kouame. The young student-athlete from the Ivory Coast has shown a ton of potential with the Ateneo in the UAAP and against international foes in the Jones Cup. He is young and seems to keep on improving (under the mentorship of Coach Tab Baldwin), making him the best long-term solution for reinforcing our basketball program.