GILAS PILIPINAS | BALTI IN, KAI AND QMB OUT

As if battling Australia and New Zealand isn’t enough, Gilas Pilipinas will take on these formidable foes without the presence of both Kai Sotto and Quentin Millora-Brown in this FIBA World Cup qualifying window.

Oh no.

In the last five games he has played with the Japan B.League’s Koshigaya Alphas, Kai Sotto averaged 14.6 points, 11.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.2 blocks. Meanwhile, QMB’s last five games with the Chiba Jets have produced 3.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game.

Look, I get it—it is what it is. I don’t want to focus on the money aspect because the last thing our national team needs right now is drama, or at least the aura of drama. That said, I do think the Guam games from the previous window are telling. Gilas Pilipinas can afford to lose these two games because we have already qualified for the next round.

Of course, Gilas shouldn’t be complacent.

But we also have to be cautious.

Kai Sotto just got his engine running, and from the looks of things, it’s purring well. That said, we also need to note that we are putting a lot on him. He’s the big local player the country desperately needs, and at 23, he’s going to be in every national team conversation. I know competitive basketball playing for pride and honor is still competitive basketball, but no Gilas paycheck can match a multi-year contract. As an import, he can’t risk as much, especially if Koshigaya patiently waited for his return after an injury that sidelined him for almost a year. If Sotto gets injured—even a minor issue—and this holds him back from playing again, it will be hard for him to negotiate another contract. Sure, he has the PBA as his fallback, but he also has aspirations to succeed on a bigger stage. Unlike Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao, this is already his seventh team since 2021, combining his high school, G League, and international commitments.

Again, the PBA will always be his safety net, but he also has to be cautious when it comes to his career.

Australia and New Zealand would definitely mark him in the post. We’ve seen the Australia brawl as well as the New Zealand matches. They’re not dirty players, but they’re used to a style in which physical, rugby-style bumping is the norm. Sotto, AJ Edu, and even Japeth Aguilar, for that matter, are quick and athletic, but the Oceania centers are built like a bunch of Nikola Pekovićs. The same can be said for the rest of their team. Even their point guards are built like weightlifters!

If you look at the current landscape of basketball, as good as Victor Wembanyama is, being a versatile seven-footer has its perks and drawbacks. We’ve seen this with Yao Ming, Manute Bol, Joel Embiid, and other seven-footers with massive growth spurts. With every lob, fast break, rebound, and block, Sotto puts added strain on his knees. And considering he’s essentially the younger version of June Mar Fajardo, it’s hard not to watch him without worrying about the risk of re-injury. Yes, Sotto has added serious muscle over the past five years, but that knee injury has to be 100% healthy for him to reach his optimal level.

If Sotto can play, then why not? But it would be better for him to remain somewhat under the radar and gradually return to form rather than expose him to heavy minutes as arguably the most important player on the team next to Justin Brownlee and Dwight Ramos, only to potentially miss the next window.

As for Millora-Brown, he’s skipping this round because he needs to secure his spot in Chiba. I know he is allegedly asking for money as well, but he’s new to the team, hasn’t had consistent minutes, and there’s a chance his contract won’t be renewed since he was only signed after their Asian import, Michael Ou, got injured. What’s insane is that the Chinese import has similar stats to QMB, and he’s probably on an expiring contract as well. This makes it important for Millora-Brown to choose the pro contract over two FIBA games, despite their importance.

If there’s anything positive that came out of this, it’s that we’re finally getting a Justine Baltazar Gilas Pilipinas run. It’s nice that both sides have agreed to mend fences, and I think if there’s someone who can be an asset at the PF/C position, it’s Balti. This also works for all sides involved.

For Cone, it means he can tap into the local market. For Converge, it’s a step in the right direction as they’re finally being seen as a contender, and maybe Balti's experience playing under Cone can unlock some secrets on how to beat the Ginebra system.

For the PBA, it’s a positive step to show stakeholders that despite the presence of international leagues, the PBA still has the best Filipino players.

And yes, buried within the discussion is yet another RJ Abarrientos-versus-Juan Gomez de Liaño battle for the final roster spot. But looking at the current lineup, the team is loaded with guards, with only Fajardo, AJ Edu, and possibly Carl Tamayo as the squad’s bona fide big men.

The local hierarchy has already been established with the PBA, then the MPBL, and then the Division I college leagues. However, some people believe that international leagues have advanced basketball far beyond ours.

If Gilas can get the best players in the PBA and a predominantly PBA-backed team reaps dividends, it might open more opportunities for Filipino players abroad—while reinforcing the idea that the PBA remains the superior league compared to the rest.