While Justin Brownlee is still the main guy for the FIBA OQT and the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, Gilas Pilipinas is hoping to have Bennie Boatwright as backup on the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Bennie Boatwright, the import who helped the San Miguel Beermen clinch the PBA Season 48 Commissioner's Cup, would provide a lot of versatility for Gilas Pilipinas should he become a naturalized player.
National team coach Tim Cone said as much in an interview with Carlo Pamintuan, as Boatwright has started the process of naturalization in the Philippines.
The proposal of giving the 27-year-old former USC Trojan a Filipino citizenship has been filed in the Senate.
[ALSO READ: SBP initiates Gilas naturalization discussion with San Miguel's Bennie Boatwright]
What appealed to Cone was Boatwright's flexibility as a player.
"He's like three or four inches taller than Justin [Brownlee]. He's athletic for his size and man, he's is a lights-out shooter," Cone told Pamintuan. "He could play with Kai and June Mar as a small forward. Or he could play with Kai as a power forward. Or we could even put him at the center position. Then, you know, put a smaller, quicker team. So he adds a lot of versatility to the team."
But as Cone has reiterated in the past, Brownlee is still the top naturalized player for Gilas.
[ALSO READ: Tim Cone clarifies that Justin Brownlee is "our guy" for Gilas and Bennie Boatwright is his "back up"]
Brownlee knows Cone's system like the back of his hand--having been in the system for seven years. Justin "Noypi", as he is fondly called, is expected to suit up for the Philippines again for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament this July as well as the November window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
But JB is 36 now, and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is aware they have to find their next naturalized player on the road to the 2027 FIBA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
It's an added motivation for the LA-based baller.
"His eyes just light up when he talks about the national team. And he's from Los Angeles. And you know our big goal is to be in the LA Olympics 2028. And when he found out about that, he was like, 'Oh man.' He imagined playing in front of [his] family for the Philippines in the Olympics. So he's real excited," Cone recounted.
[ALSO READ: Paris? LA? Gilas Pilipinas' road to the Olympics begins in FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, says Tim Cone]
For now, Cone is hoping he could get Boatwright soon so he could familiarize himself with the system.