Gilas Pilipinas’ 2025 FIBA Asia Cup campaign has been a mixed bag of despondency and a fatalistic understanding that the Philippines did what it could given prevailing circumstances. 

A seventh-place finish is disappointing for the five-time FIBA Asia Cup champions who last made it to the podium a decade ago, so much so that calls for a coaching change and program overhaul were reignited. 

In reality, following through on those calls will be counterproductive. A new coach comes in and wins a few games and tournaments, but when opposing teams gather enough intel to scout Gilas, the struggles will come and the calls will come back. Patience is thus needed as Gilas Pilipinas moves forward; after all the goal right now is the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup and perhaps even the 2028 Summer Olympics. 

Change will nonetheless take place, and just days after the Philippines ended their 2025 FIBA Asia Cup campaign, change is already on the way. 

Quentin Millora-Brown would have been a much-needed addition for Gilas in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, but for one reason or another, things did not materialize. Many have already given their two cents on the delay of Millora-Brown’s reclassification as a local and the fact it was his lawyers that helped him in the appeal, but it’s better to put our attention to how he can be involved with the Gilas Pilipinas program going forward. 

Things can’t just end with Millora-Brown, though, as he’s not the be all and end all of the Philippines’ issues. Millora-Brown will be a welcome addition to the frontcourt, as he joins Kai Sotto and AJ Edu in helping shore up a frontline that had to be reinforced by June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar. Both Fajardo and Aguilar will be closer to 40 by the time the 2027 FIBA World Cup begins and so Millora-Brown allows the Philippines to make room for another naturalized big man if Justin Brownlee will be retired by then. 

Gilas has to address its backcourt issues as the lack of point guard depth not only forced other players to assume lead guard duties in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, but it also came at the expense of their offense. The likes of Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, and even Dwight Ramos had various contributions throughout their campaign, but there were moments when their offense was compromised and prevented them from playing to the best of their abilities. 

The solution may require an expansion of the Gilas Pilipinas pool. Head coach Tim Cone had been quite reluctant to do so, but recent developments should make them reconsider, especially since tournaments like the SEA Games and Asian Games may overlap with other professional leagues, notwithstanding the wildcard that is injury. Putting forward a youth lineup could be useful as well, but that may be a better option once SEA Games head coach Norman Black institutionalizes his grassroots program. For now, the Philippines should continue to gather talent willing to play for the country and find ways to help them gain eligibility. 

At the end of the day, however, there are more issues to unpack when it comes to Gilas Pilipinas. We can talk about their internal programs and perhaps how the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and other stakeholders can support younger players seeking options abroad (versus banning them outright). But Gilas has to start somewhere and Quentin Millora-Brown may have set them on a path to a better outcome.