Pilipinas Scorecard in the FIBA World Cup 2019

PLAYERS	GRADE	REMARKS
CJ PEREZ	C+	This guy was not supposed to be in the team, but thanks to the injuries of some key players, Filipinos were able to know him. He’s just 25 years old but he played like a veteran out there, leading the locals in points with 13 PPG at 54% FG shooting in just 19 minutes a game. Perez epitomizes our battle cry “Puso”, and will surely be a mainstay for Philippine Basketball in a long while. If not for his costly mistake against Angola, a B+ would have been on his scorecard.
ROBERT BOLICK	C-	Who would have thought that the two youngest players would lead the locals in scoring? Bolick averaged 9 PPG in just 14 minutes of playing time a game. What is impressive is that he led the team in 3pt Shooting at 39%. He can shoot, he can penetrate, but he can’t keep a promise. He will surely have more opportunities to correct that.
ANDRAY BLATCHE	D-	Blatche led the team in all major categories (Pts, Rebs, Asts) but he also had almost 5 TOs a game and shot less than 40%. More importantly, his inability to run the floor and stay in front of the opponents due to his being out of shape spelled doom on our team. This was not the send-off that we were thinking for our prized naturalized player.
JAPETH AGUILAR	D-	Everyone knows his strengths - he can dunk and jump out of the building. But his weaknesses then are still his weaknesses today. Guy didn’t improve! Can’t guard bigger opponents, can’t grip the ball, basketball IQ remains flat. He needs to thank his other teammates since he still looked like one of the better players in Gilas uniform during the tourney.
PAUL LEE	D-	Paul had one good stretch when he was slated as a starter against the mighty Serbians. When he was subbed out, the team’s offense looked awful. Mysteriously, he was only subbed in at the start of the third quarter. He can only do so much as he only played 12 minutes a game, the third lowest in the team (only behind Barroca and Almazan).
JUNEMAR FAJARDO	INC	A five-time MVP should have been played at least 20 minutes a game. Fajardo only played 17 minutes and attempted 4 shots a game. He looked good when he has the ball on his hands but the team just cannot find him in his comfort zone. For that, he’s getting an INC grade.
GABE NORWOOD	F	In case you didn’t notice, Norwood was a regular starter and played 18 minutes a game, but he was scoreless against Italy, Serbia, Angola and Tunisia. Yes, 0 points in all those 4 games. Yes he is a defensive specialist but did he stop anyone from the opposing team? He’s an icon in international tourneys but his time with Gilas has met its end.
MARK BARROCA	F	Guy is too small, can’t guard bigger guards without fouling them, shooting is not consistent. We need to look for bigger and better guards. Enough of putting a lot of faith on guards like Barroca.
RR POGOY	F	I watched him play like Paul George in the PBA Finals. Excellent defender and even better 3pt shooter. As good as he was in the PBA, he was horrible in the FIBA World Cup. That brawl against Australia might have gotten a little of his shooting touch. It’s always better to be the nice guy, so they say.
TROY ROSARIO	F	Just like his teammate Pogoy, Rosario’s offensive performance in the PBA Finals was almost flawless. He was unstoppable inside and was automatic from the 3pt range. In the FIBA World Cup, he shot 29% from the field, chipped in less than 3 points, despite playing 20 minutes a game. And don’t get me started counting how many airballs did he let it fly.
RAYMOND ALMAZAN	F	We should stop sending useless defensive bigs. Let’s start sending bigs who can defend and shoot.
KIEFER RAVENA	F	I am still wondering why is Ravena the poster player for some of Gilas’ promotions and advertisements? And why suddenly did he become the go-to-guy of the team (i.e. Angola game)? The last time I checked, he is not the MVP of PBA, and not even a Top 10 player in the league. He shot an abysmal 19% FG, let that sink in. He might be the future of Philippine basketball, but he has to earn it, not to be served to him on silver platter.
COACH YENG GUIAO	F	I just don’t see him as the right mentor for our National Team. Cursing loudly doesn’t help. His poker face and nightmarish grin will not encourage the players. Likewise, how he handled the criticism of the Serbian coach was a turnoff. Guiao’s antics are only good for local basketball.