After weeks of flip-flopping and last-minute red-flagging by the organizers of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games, Gilas Pilipinas was forced to assemble a final lineup barely a week before the tournament tipped off.
Only four players from the original pool made the cut -- Thirdy Ravena, Ray Parks Jr., Matthew Wright and Veejay Pre -- as the organizers ultimately adopted FIBA rules and barred the use of naturalized players.
This pushed head coach Norman Black to turn to a mix of PBA standouts and familiar faces, tapping Robert Bolick, Dalph Panopio and Abu Tratter, alongside former Ateneo Blue Eagles he once coached in Von Pessumal, JP Erram, and Justin Chua. They were joined by free agent Jamie Malonzo and Adamson big man Cedrick Manzano.
Despite the limited preparation time, Gilas won its first two games to secure a semifinals berth. Still, the competition has tested what is usually a dominant Philippine side.
The national team found themselves trailing by six points in the opening quarter against Malaysia and staring at a 14-point deficit against Vietnam before managing to turn things around.
With the medal round looming, it's worth assessing the recurring issues that put Gilas in early holes and the adjustments and habits that allowed them to recover in both games.
Flat defensive starts
A quick look at the Gilas roster shows the absence of a true lockdown perimeter defender. With that reality, the margin for error shrinks, making team defense built on early communication, sharp rotations, and collective effort a non-negotiable.
With numbers and statistics being hard to come by in the tournament, film from their first two games tells the clearer story. Point-of-attack (POA) defense and help coverage have often been out of sync, allowing simple dribble penetration to collapse the defense and create cascading breakdowns.
Guards are getting beat cleanly, while the help arrives a step late or not at all, leading to open lanes and kick-out looks.
The problem is further magnified by the lack of depth in the frontcourt.
At this stage, JP Erram stands as the only truly viable option as a Gilas big man in the lineup -- capable of providing mobility, rim protection, and defensive activity on both ends. Behind him, there is little reliable backline resistance.
Even with former PBA Defensive Player of the Year Justin Chua on the roster, age has caught up, limiting his ability to slide laterally or recover when forced to defend in space.
While they can get by having a mid-defensive effort against Malaysia and Vietnam, Gilas will need to be on a string as they go up against tougher countries in Indonesia and host nation Thailand.
Whether it's mixing up defensive coverages or doing a better job guarding at the POA, the squad must find the answer to once again claim the gold.
Playing off the advantages created by Robert Bolick
One of Gilas' clearest offensive lifelines has been Robert Bolick's ability to manufacture advantages in the half court, particularly out of the pick-and-roll and simple two-man actions.
Through high ball screens, Bolick's downhill burst forces defenses to commit early. His threat as a scorer off the dribble consistently pulls two defenders to the ball, immediately tilting the floor in Gilas' favor.
That extra attention puts opposing defenses in rotation.
When teams blitz or hard-hedge the screen, the NLEX Road Warriors has shown the patience to keep his dribble alive and make the simple read -- hitting the short roll, spraying the ball to the weak-side shooter, or finding cutters as the defense scrambles. Even in basic two-man games, his ability to turn the corner or snake the screen bends coverage just enough to open pockets of space for teammates to attack.
For a team still searching for offensive rhythm, Bolick's advantage creation is vital -- evidenced by his 13-point outing against Vietnam. As long as he continues to draw two on the ball and make the right reads, Gilas can consistently pressure the defense and sustain offensive efficiency heading into the medal round.
Lean on Ray Parks Jr. scoring
In a setting like the SEA Games, where preparation time is limited and chemistry is still a work in progress, there are moments when complexity becomes unnecessary.
For Gilas, Ray Parks Jr.'s scoring offers a reliable fallback -- one that simplifies decision-making while still producing efficient offense.
Parks' size, handle, and shooting gravity make him a difficult cover in one-on-one situations, especially against SEA-level defenders who struggle to stay in front or contest without fouling.
Whether attacking from the wing or the top of the floor, he can create separation off the dribble, rise over smaller defenders, or force help that opens secondary options late in the clock. In these scenarios, spamming the ball to the best player isn't a bailout -- it's a calculated choice
For a relatively new group still building cohesion, leaning on the B.League import's shot-making stabilizes the offense, which was on full display through his 18 points versus Malaysia. It limits turnovers, controls tempo, and ensures each possession ends with a quality look.
At this level of competition, talent gaps still matter, and Parks embodies that edge. While ball movement and structure remain important, there are stretches where trusting elite individual skill is enough -- and Parks' isolation game gives Gilas a dependable way to close quarters and win games.