A handful of players here are accomplished, but they still have much to prove for the national team.
It's a little weird, and tough, to rank the shooting guard position especially in this modern era of basketball when players train different. Some have honed so much skill that they're better called as combo guards as they play the point effectively. Some others grew to have the size of a forward but have stayed agile enough to be a two-guard.
So for this list, we followed the Michael Jordan mold and chose some of the best scorers that Gilas has seen over the years. Plus, they're also called "shooting" guards, aren't they?
First up, the honorable mentions: Marcio Lassiter, Dondon Hontiveros.
Lassiter was part of the Gilas team that started it all and has always been a reliable shooter when the national team calls him up. Hontiveros, on the other hand, proved that age is just a number when he lit up the 2015 FIBA Asia Cup.
5. Paul Lee
Maybe it’s best to call him Paul Dalistan. After all, that was what the surname the ‘Angas ng Tondo’ was allowed to use under FIBA rules.
No matter the name on the back of the jersey, nobody could forget it was Lee who delivered three clutch free throws for the Philippines to secure a bronze medal victory over China in the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup. With no time remaining in the game and Gilas down two points, the podium finished rested on his shoulders. And Lee carried the burden with swag as he calmly sank three freebies.
That alone should put him up here in our list.
4. RR Pogoy
When called up, RR Pogoy seemingly always says yes to playing for Gilas Pilipinas. That’s puso right there.
Pogoy has been through the good and bad times of Gilas, but through it all, the TNT guard has shown that he is willing to do whatever to help the national team win.
3. Cjay Perez
In just his short span with Gilas so far, Cjay Perez has lived up to everyone’s expectations by finding ways to score on offense—something that Gilas struggles with when playing without a naturalized player.
Aside from his stellar performance during the 2019 FIBA World Cup, Perez also had a great outing during the fifth window of the 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifers, where he averaged around 10.5 points, 3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds.
2. Jordan Clarkson
Is putting Jordan Clarkson at number two wrong? Maybe, but it’s also worth noting that JC has only played a limited number of games for Gilas. Maybe Clarkson will move up to the top come the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but for now, the top spot belongs to our next guy.
1. Jeff Chan
Prime Jeff Chan was simply amazing and Gilas was very lucky to have him from 2012-2016.
The Negros Sniper was what Gilas needed during international tournaments—a pure shooter who can also slash to the rim and get buckets.
Chan was part of: the Gilas team that won the 2012 Jones Cup, the runner-up in the 2013 FIBA Asia Men’s Championship, and the 2014 squad that represented the country in its first FIBA World Cup stint after a 36-year absence.