GILAS Pilipinas coach Tim Cone said the team has not decided who to field as naturalized player — Justin Brownlee or Bennie Boatwright — for the November window in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
The Philippines’ World Cup hopes for the 2027 World Cup in Doha, Qatar got the needed shot in the arm following its back-to-back home wins against Jordan and Iran during the August window.
Gilas Pilipinas hopes to sustain its gains when it battles Syria and Iran in a pair of road games in Seremban, Malaysia next month.
The Philippine team did not have Brownlee during the August window as the well-loved naturalized player was not given the medical clearance to play after sustaining multiple injuries during the July window while playing against New Zealand in Auckland.
Cone remains hopeful that the 6-foot-4 Brownlee can return to action soon.
In Brownlee’s absence, Barangay Ginebra tapped the services of Jordan Murphy as its import in the PBA Governors Cup, which is set to resume on Oct. 7.
The Puerto Rican forward came in to take the spot of Riley Grigsby after Ginebra started the tournament with a mediocre 2-4 record.
Murphy is seen as a stop-gap measure as Cone remains hopeful that Brownlee could see action for the Gin Kings in the season-ending PBA conference.
And if plans don’t miscarry, Brownlee could head straight to reintegrating with Gilas Pilipinas by November.
“Yes, we’ll have an open mind,” Cone said in a brief reply to The Manila Times’ inquiry on the possibility of playing the 38-year-old Brownlee or Boatwright.
Cone, however, has another option now for the November window as the sweet-shooting Boatwright is expected to get his naturalization documents put in order by then.
The sweet-shooting Boatwright’s naturalization papers was not signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and has already lapsed into law.
The former University of Southern California Trojan is best remembered for leading San Miguel Beer to the 2023-24 Commissioner’s Cup crown, and returned to reinforce the Beermen in the same conference of Season 50.
