Thompson proves doubters wrong
‘He’s not a guy you could just step off of anymore and his ability to get to the rim and create has always been there.’
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Daily Tribune‘He’s not a guy you could just step off of anymore and his ability to get to the rim and create has always been there.’
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Scottie Thompson made a huge impact in his Gilas Pilipinas return.
Back as a starting point guard, Thompson’s presence brought stability and an added backcourt weapon for the national squad in a successful homestand over New Zealand in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers Thursday night at the Mall of Asia Arena.
For head coach Tim Cone, what the Barangay Ginebra star contributed to Gilas’ 93-89 victory over the Tall Blacks for a 3-0 record in Group B proved doubters wrong for saying Thompson can’t play international ball.
“I remember this time very distinctly when there was a lot of talk about Scottie can’t play international games,” the mentor said.
“A lot of people were saying he can’t play in international game because he can’t shoot. But in my mind, there’s never been any doubt. And in his mind, there’s never really a doubt,” he added.
Thompson dropped 12 points, dished out six assists and pulled down four rebounds in his first game back in Gilas uniform after skipping the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia last July due to recurring back problems.
“The thing with Scottie is you can look at the videos all you want but until you actually get on the floor and play against him, you don’t realize what he’s doing out there on the floor for you in terms of his tremendous rebounding, I think that’s what gets the most print,” Cone said.
“But his defense is spot on. His hustle on the defensive side is spot on and he’s really, really worked hard on improving his shot.”
Thompson showcased his scoring prowess when he strung seven straight points capped by a triple to give Gilas a 35-31 lead with 4:41 remaining in the second quarter which brought the host team back to life after going down by nine in the opening period.
Gilas sorely missed the 31-year-old seven-time Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) champion during the OQT. Cone was forced to slide his remaining players out of position with the main ball handler unavailable.
Thompson brought order back in terms of Gilas’ rotation.
“He’s not a guy you could just step off of anymore and his ability to get to the rim and create has always been there. He’s been that triple-double machine ever since he was at Perpetual. To me, it’s not a surprise,” Cone said.
