As Gilas Pilipinas heads into the third window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers, the margin for error has all but disappeared.
Facing a daunting pair of road assignments against Australia and New Zealand, in Perth, Western Australia, the Philippines find themselves in a position where their World Cup hopes could be defined over the next two games.
In the fourth part of this series, we look at two additions to Gilas' big man rotation, with Mike Phillips and Justine Baltazar providing variation to the team after several players from the original pool were unavailable
Phillips' call-up marks his first stint with the senior Gilas squad, but the 23-year-old is no stranger to representing the country after helping the Philippines capture the gold medal at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games. Baltazar, meanwhile, returns to national team duty after suiting up in the 2021 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia.
Here's what both players could bring as Gilas looks to navigate a crucial stretch in its World Cup qualifying campaign.
Phillips' as the best two-way-option big
Truth be told, Gilas has often had to compromise at the center spot depending on personnel. Nine-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo remains the country's most polished offensive big, but defending in space and containing ball-screen actions has been a challenge at the FIBA level. Meanwhile, AJ Edu provides elite rim protection and switchability, but his offensive game is still more complementary than self-created. That leaves an opening for Phillips to carve out a unique role, as the national team's most balanced two-way frontcourt option.
The foundation of Phillips' game has always been his relentless motor. Ever since his UAAP days, he has been among the country's premier rebounders, consistently generating extra possessions while protecting the paint through sheer activity. The 6'8" big averaged a dominant 12.6 points and 14.6 rebounds per game in his final season with La Salle, and he's carried that physicality into the MPBL with San Juan Knights -- for whom he posts 8.4 points and 10.7 rebounds against seasoned professional competition.
What has elevated Phillips' ceiling, however, is the steady expansion of his offensive arsenal. Rather than relying solely on hustle baskets, he has become increasingly comfortable operating on the block, using improved footwork and touch to punish switches and smaller defenders in the post. This development was on full display in his final collegiate game, erupting for 25 points and 18 rebounds against the UP Fighting Maroons in the UAAP Season 88 Finals clincher to capture Finals MVP honors.
For Gilas, the impact could be felt with Phillips' development into an effective dribble handoff hub, capable of initiating two-man actions from the elbows or high post. The ability to screen, quickly flip into handoffs, and explode into hard rolls gives dynamic guards like Juan Gomez de Liaño and RJ Abarrientos another reliable partner in the pick-and-roll game. Whether diving to the rim, finishing through contact, or creating advantages off short-roll situations, Phillips gives the Philippines a modern big who can impact both ends of the floor.
Baltazar's ability to play inside and out
After spending much of his MPBL stint as a full-time center, Baltazar has evolved into a far more versatile frontcourt piece with Converge FiberXers. In his first two PBA seasons, he has struck the right balance between operating as a floor-spacing forward and punishing mismatches inside, giving him the offensive versatility to impact games from multiple areas of the floor.
That improvement has been on full display in his sophomore campaign, averaging 13.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists on an efficient 57.6 TS% across 25 games. Baltazar has long been comfortable handling the ball and making plays from the high post, but his outside shot has become a legitimate weapon, knocking down 51.9% of his three-pointers on 2.2 attempts per game (14-for-27) during the Commissioner's Cup. Defenders can no longer simply sag off him, creating more space for teammates and making him an ideal fit in modern four-out offensive sets.
Yet Baltazar has not sacrificed his interior presence. Despite expanding his range, he remained one of the PBA's premier rebounders, averaging 9.3 boards per game to rank third among all players in the Commissioner's Cup. The 29-year old's ability to finish around the basket, clean the glass, and battle bigger centers allows him to seamlessly toggle between the power forward and center spots depending on the matchup.
With Gilas, that versatility gives head coach Tim Cone another frontcourt chess piece. Baltazar can stretch opposing bigs beyond the arc, facilitate from the elbows, or slide inside as a secondary rebounder and interior scorer, giving the Philippines valuable lineup flexibility without compromising size or physicality.
