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Basketball is the most popular sport in the Philippines, and this island state will be one of the hosts of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. They have a mix of players who are among the PBL stars and a group that plays in the Japanese B League, with Jordan Clarkson as the Gilas Pilipinas World Cup team leader.
FIBA World Cup Philippines roster
Contents
Philippines’ head coach Chot Reyes was one of the last to announce the final roster that will represent one of the home nations at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Despite that, we didn’t see many surprises in Gilas Pilipinas’ final roster:
Rhenz Abando (G – Anyang KGC)
Japeth Aguilar (C – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel)
Jordan Clarkson (SF – Utah Jazz)
AJ Edu (PF – Toyama Grouses)
June Mar Fajardo (C – San Miguel Beermen)
Jamie Malonzo (SF – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel)
CJ Perez (SG – San Miguel Beermen)
Roger Ray Pagoy (SG – TNT Tropang Giga)
Dwight Ramos (SG – Levanga Hokkaido)
Kiefer Ravena (PG – Shiga Lakes)
Kai Sotto (C – Hiroshima Dragonflies)
Scottie Thompson (SG – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel)
FIBA World Cup Philippines odds
The Philippines are not considered a contender to make a significant run at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, and the odds of them winning the tournament are 249/1.
Gilas Pilipinas World Cup schedule
The Philippines will compete in Group A and will play their games in Bulacan and Quezon City. This is their schedule:
- Aug. 25: Philippines vs. Dominican Republic
- Aug. 27: Philippines vs. Angola
- Aug. 29: Philippines vs. Italy
How good the Philippines really are?
Basketball in the Philippines is a big deal, even though fans out of Asia have not heard much about their national team. PBA is an interesting league that tries to give the fans a show similar to the NBA. The quality of the game is not even close to a high level, but it is constantly improving. The Philippines play run-and-gun basketball, usually finishing their possessions in the first 10-12 seconds, which makes them a fun team to watch.
The Philippines lost all three games in the previous World Cup and hope that they will be more successful in front of the home crowd. Given the opponents in the group stage, they may have a chance against Angola while defeating the Dominicans or Italy, would be a real sensation.
Gilas Pilipinas players to watch
Jordan Clarkson is the main star of the team. He is coming off an impressive season with the Utah Jazz, averaging 20.8 points and 4.4 assists per game. The 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year winner is usually very aggressive on the offensive end, and he will do the same at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Kai Sotto is the fan favorite of the team. The 21-year-old, 7-foot-3 giant went undrafted last year and is still hoping to find his place in the NBA. The Hiroshima Dragonflies center moves great for his size and can finish strong at the rim.
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