Gilas Pilipinas will be without two key big men as Kai Sotto is opting out of the sixth window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers. Japeth Aguilar is still recovering from an MCL sprain and will also sit out.
"Japeth is injured and Kai has already said categorically that he's opting out of this window," Gilas coach Chot Reyes said after the team's Monday practice. "So we have to plan around that. A lot of our other big men are injured as well. Poy (Erram) is injured and Ange (Kouame) is not eligible. We've lost our two best rim protectors, Japeth and Kai. That's something we didn't expect. But we'll see what we can come up with and how we can compensate."
With the three out, that leaves June Mar Fajardo, 18-year-old Mason Amos, and Raymond Almazan as the only big men in the pool. Reyes said Almazan may also not be available for the Feb. 24 and 27 games.
"I don't know if Raymond can play because Meralco will have have games on the 23rd and the 26th," Reyes said.
Former UAAP Rookie of the Year Carl Tamayo, the pool's other big man, was a no-show.
"He's supposed to be here, but he's not," Reyes said. "I don't know what his plan is, I don't know if he's even going to be available for the window. Other than June Mar, the only big man who has always shown up is Mason Amos. So those are basically our bigs."
Reyes wouldn't say that Amos's chances of making the final 12 had improved, but admitted that the teenager's perfect attendance was a plus.
The pool got a boost, though, as Kiefer Ravena became the first Japan-based player to show up for practice. Others are expected to arrive in the coming days.
It is expected that Dwight Ramos is arriving tonight Monday, Thirdy Ravena and Jordan Heading on Thursday and Ray Parks shortly after that.
Kiefer Ravena, who was forced to skip the fifth window at the last minute due to an emergency dental procedure, said he's just happy to be one of the boys again.
"I'm just thankful for the opportunity to be home, be back here with my brothers in the PBA and the college guys," Ravena said. "Excited to play hopefully in the front of the crowd. Just being around these guys, I haven't been with them for a long time. Calvin (Oftana), CJ (Perez), June Mar, Raymond. A mix of the older generation of Gilas and younger generation of Gilas. I'm somewhere in the middle. I've been with the young ones and these older guys."
Scheduling practices has proven to be a challenge with the PBA Governors' Cup elimination round in full swing and the Japan-based players arriving in batches. Reyes said they will re-convene on Thursday and Saturday to bring the B.League players up to speed.
"For example, TNT is playing Wednesday, Friday, Sunday," Reyes said. "Ginebra is playing Friday and Sunday. San Miguel is playing Wednesday and Friday. So the schedule is too hard for the PBA guys for us to do any kind of daily practice. But hopefully next week, on the 20th, gives us a grand total of three days before the first game. By that time we can really go full daily with the full team."
Fajardo, Almazan, Amos, Oftana, Perez, Chris Newsome, Kevin Quiambao, Jerom Lastimosa, Jamie Malonzo and Arvin Tolentino were on hand for Monday's practice. Naturalized player Justin Brownlee was excused.
Gilas takes on Lebanon on Feb. 24 and Jordan on Feb. 27 at the Philippine Arena.