After an underwhelming 2025 FIBA Asia Cup campaign, Gilas Pilipinas now turns its focus to the future -- most notably the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in November and the long-term goal of building a stronger, more sustainable program.
There's little question that 36-year-old Justin Brownlee remains the naturalized player of choice under head coach Tim Cone. Yet conversations about possible successors have never faded and one name that emerged in 2023 as a serious option was Bennie Boatwright.
Boatwright's impactful run as San Miguel's substitute import in the 2023 PBA Commissioner's Cup ended with a championship and put his name firmly on the radar. Averaging 30.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on an efficient 57.6 TS%, he showed the kind of all-around ability that instantly fueled debates about his potential fit with Gilas.
Now, following a lengthy layoff due to injury, Boatwright is making his return to the court with the Taipei Fubon Braves of Taiwan's P. League+. SBP Executive Director Erika Dy has reiterated that there remains no change in their intent to complete the process of bringing him in.
With his comeback underway, it's only fitting to examine Boatwright's strengths and what he brings for Gilas and his fit in the triangle offense of Cone.
Boatwright's lights out shooting and the spacing it provides
During his stint with San Miguel, Boatwright connected on 35.1% of his 3-point attempts on a staggering 11.8 shots per game. The combination of efficiency and volume is rare for a player his size, and gives him the ability to stretch defenses well beyond the arc. It's not just about the shots he makes, but how he forces opponents to guard him 25 feet from the basket, opening up driving lanes for guards and creating cleaner looks for big men working inside.
This shooting dimension is exactly what Gilas lacked during their 2025 Asia Cup campaign. Among the sixteen participating nations, the Philippines ranked 12th in terms of 3-point shooting at just a 30.1% clip. The team often struggled to generate consistent offense in the halfcourt, particularly when opposing defenses collapsed in the paint and relied on Brownlee and Dwight Ramos to bail them out. Without reliable floor-spacing threats, the offense bogged down, leading to an awful shot profile.
Boatwright's willingness to fire from deep, could immediately address that void by stretching defenses, and give Gilas a modern big who can complement slashers and ball-dominant guards. According to Synergy, in his stint with Libertadores de Queretaro in the 2023-24 season of the Mexican LNBP, Boatwright shot 40.6% from spot-up 3s, 37.5% on off-screen 3s, and 38.7% on catch-and-shoot triples.
Fitting Boatwright alongside Gilas' frontline core also makes basketball sense. Fajardo still commands double-teams inside, Edu brings length and rim protection, while Kai Sotto continues to evolve as a versatile post presence. Adding Boatwright to that mix creates balance: He won't clog the lane, he keeps opposing bigs honest by pulling them away from the paint, and can truly diversify the options on their offense.
In a region where most national teams load up on size and physicality, having a stretch big of Boatwright's caliber could tilt matchups in the Philippines' favor, giving Cone more lineup flexibility and modernizing Gilas' offensive identity.
Boatwright's fit with the triangle offense
Boatwright may not have Brownlee's shot-creation chops, but he still projects as a strong fit in Cone's triangle offense. But his value comes in how he keeps the system flowing through his shooting, screening, and decision-making. The triangle is built on reads and counters, and Boatwright's skill set makes him an ideal connector piece who doesn't need the ball to be effective.
Positioned at the pinch post, he can serve as a handoff hub and seamlessly transition into pick-and-pop or pick-and-roll actions when the ball swings to the top and him being the screener. As per Synergy, Boatwright put up 1.3 PPP on rolls to the basket at 52.8% shooting and 47.6% on pops from beyond the arc. This gravity ensures that defenders can't sag off, making the pop dangerous while still leaving the roll as a viable option. It forces opposing bigs into tough decisions, either chasing him out to the perimeter or risking open looks at the rim for guards and cutters.
Beyond that, Boatwright's decision-making allows him to be the trigger for the blind pig action -- a staple in the triangle where a guard cuts hard to the basket off a weak-side screen. Because his defender is reluctant to help off due to his outside threat, Boatwright has clean windows to deliver passes to guards attacking downhill.
That combination of floor spacing and playmaking creates layers of pressure on the defense, giving Gilas a big piece who doesn't just space the floor but also facilitates action within the offense. While different from Brownlee's creator role, Boatwright provides a versatile alternative that enhances Cone's system in its own way
Defense remains a concern
While Boatwright brings plenty of offensive value, his defense is where questions begin to surface. Even though he has the size to match up with most international forwards and some centers, his foot speed and lateral mobility have often been concerns.
In the PBA, quicker imports and athletic wings were able to target him in switches, forcing him to defend in space where he can be exposed. Against FIBA competition, where versatile lineups are common, this could become a weakness if not properly schemed around.
For Gilas, the key will be maximizing lineups where Boatwright's shooting offsets whatever defensive trade-offs he brings. If Cone pairs him with defensive mobile bigs like AJ Edu and Sotto, or even Quentin Millora-Brown, Boatwright's responsibilities shrink to rotating smartly and keeping his man honest.