San Miguel's Bennie Boatwright could be in line to be a naturalized player for Gilas Pilipinas.
There’s no doubt in June Mar Fajardo and Marcio Lassiter’s minds that Bennie Boatwright would be a great addition to the revamped Gilas Pilipinas program.
This after reports surfaced on Saturday, March 30, that the San Miguel import’s naturalization process will commence sooner rather than later.
“Masaya ko para kay Bennie. Malaking tulong siya para sa national team,” Fajardo said after the Beermen’s 116-102 win over Phoenix in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup on Sunday, March 31.
Lassiter couldn’t agree more. After all, Boatwright already showed in the Beermen’s Commissioner’s Cup conquest that he could be an asset for Philippine basketball.
“I’m super happy for him. I'm pretty sure he's willing to take that challenge as a big. A big challenge for him. He proved a lot in our last Finals run, he's willing to take those big shots,” Marcio said of the former USC Trojan.
“And honestly, he's a great teammate on and off the court. As long as he keeps on adjusting to the lifestyle and the culture, he'll be fine.”
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Should the move push through, Boatwright will join a growing naturalized pool for Gilas Pilipinas that also includes Justin Brownlee, Ange Kouame, and Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson.
A player of Boatwright’s caliber who could pretty much do everything, including shoot threes, is tailor-fit for the national team, added Lassiter.
“I think with Bennie, he's so versatile where he can space the floor as a shooter and you can put him in any position, and he's a smart guy. I think he'll fit seamlessly in any system especially with how coach Tim can put guys in better positions. He just have to work on a few things, but he'll be fine,” he said.
“He's taller, he's younger, he can shoot, he can post up, he can do a little bit of everything. That's what you want from an import, he can defend. I feel like he's gonna be a great addition as long as he stays healthy. The way he shoots, he's so confident. He was my splash brother last conference, it was fun to play with him.”
Agree?