Chot counting on Dwight Ramos, Thirdy Ravena to be leaders of Gilas team

Gilas Pilipinas national team head coach Chot Reyes didn't specifically instruct Dwight Ramos and Thirdy Ravena to get the offense humming the way they did against India on Friday's FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers game.

But that didn't stop the two B.League imports from making their mark on the game as they combined for 32 points to lead the Philippines to an 88-64 victory and a 2-0 record in Group A, which includes a forfeit win over Korea.

Against India, Ramos scored 17 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field while Ravena finished with 15, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc.

But on top of the offensive prowess that Ravena and Ramos have shown, Reyes said it's leadership and maturity that the team needs from them.

"Scoring was never an issue for us. We never go out and consciously look to score, we run our stuff and we take advantage of opportunities," said Reyes in the post-game interview.

"But what we're looking for with Dwight and Thirdy is not to lead the team in scoring but to lead the team."

Reyes stressed it's important for Ramos and Ravena to take the reins as early as now as they will be relied on to be the leaders not only of this squad, but for the team in the 2023 World Cup that the country is hosting.

"So we are really looking at them to be the leaders of this team, the mantle of leadership has been slowly transferring from the Gilas players of the past to these two guys now," the concurrent Gilas and TNT mentor said.

"Because like I said, this is a long-term program, we're preparing for next year and beyond. Dwight is 24 [and] Thirdy is 25 so this is part of their maturation as leaders."

—JMB, GMA News