DWIGHT RAMOS has played in all five windows of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup Asian Qualifiers and for the sixth and last window where Gilas Pilipinas hosts Lebanon and Jordan, he’s heaving some sigh of relief.
“I think JB [Justin Brownlee] is a perfect player for the team,” Ramos told BusinessMirror on Wednesday. “I think just being in the 4-position really, and the way he plays is just pretty perfect for how our team plays.”
Brownlee is Gilas Pilipinas’s second naturalized player after Ange Kouame, but the the resident import of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is believed to be a shoo-in on the final 21 head coach Chot Reyes is expected to announce on the eve of the Lebanon game on Thursday.
Ramos said Brownlee’s skill set is a given, but what makes him special is he’s being an excellent team player.
“He’s definitely a team player. Sometimes you think when you play with an import, he’s ball dominant, but JB’s a team player,” Ramos said. “You can see he has great skills, mid-range is really good, he can shoot, he can pass and does everything really well. It’s perfect.”
Brownlee has six Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) championships with Ginebtr and has been averaging 26.6 points, 11.3 rebounds and 8.67 assists in six games in the ongoing Governors’ Cup.
Ramos, 24, on the other hand, skipped his last year of eligibility at Ateneo and opted for the Japan B.League with Levanga Hokkaido. He built norms of 13.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in all eight games of the continental qalifiers’ five windows.
Ramos said he’ll always be a good soldier at Gilas.
“If I get picked, I get picked. If not, then It’s time to work so I can be picked next time,” he said. “I just show up everytime I get call, and I just follow the instructions like a soldier.”
“I just come here, do my job and listen to coaches,” he added.
The Lebanon game is set 6 p.m. Friday at the Philippine Arena, while the Jordan match is scheduled Monday at the same time and venue in Bocaue, Bulacan.
The Philippines and Japan are seeded as co-host in the FIBA World Cup set August 25 to September 10.