The hits just keep on coming for Juan Gomez de Liaño, as his fast start as a PBA rookie has led to a call-up to the Gilas Pilipinas pool.
The November 14 PBA Philippine Cup game between Barangay Ginebra and Converge FiberXers witnessed a few milestones. Not only was it the first win by Converge over Ginebra in a Philippine Cup conference, it also saw FiberXers super rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño drop a career-high 32 points on a phenomenal 13-of-16 shooting clip.
The last two of those, which came near the end with the outcome already decided, earned the temporary ire of Ginebra coach Tim Cone due to that unwritten rule about not adding insult to injury if the game is already beyond reach. (Everything was eventually sorted out between both sides.)
Now, Cone is also the coach of Gilas Pilipinas, which will be battling Guam in a pair of home-and-home games in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers next week. So after replacing his Ginebra hat for his Gilas one, he quickly forgot what Gomez de Liaño had just done to his PBA team and started thinking about what the young guard could do for the national team.
The result was Juan Gomez de Liaño getting a call-up to join the Gilas pool, his first call-up in three years and first under this current coaching staff.
For Cone, it was an easy call.
“Well, he’s just played very, very well,” the multi-titled coach said after Gilas Pilipinas had finished practice in Pasig. “His skills, we think, equate to the international level. He handles the pick and roll extremely well. He reads off the pick and roll. And he’s a little more offensive oriented than Scottie (Thompson) and New (Chris Newsome). And so he kind of brings a different dimension to the team.”
Juan is currently averaging an eye-popping 17.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game in his young PBA career, but Cone is equally impressed by what he does on the defensive side.
“We feel he’s a good defender, too. But really he brings a little more in terms of shooting and scoring. And he’s a tremendous passer. Just a really, really good offensive player who is a very willing defender.”
There’s no guarantee that Gomez de Liaño will make the final 12, but with a couple of players injured and a few others still processing their US visas to get into Guam, anything can still happen.
“We still feel defense is still very important in that position. And that’s why Scottie and New have been the lead point guards for us. But we see a possibility for Juan. Now whether he goes and makes the final 12 for this particular window, that’s very much up in the air. And he knows that. So we’ll make our selection for the final 12 at the end.”
Whatever happens, Juan considers himself lucky to be on the 18-man pool.
“Just to be part of the pool, it’s such a blessing for my career, especially for my family,” he said. “Just to be part of the Gilas system, it’s a whole different feeling, honestly. To have that Pilipinas name across my jersey. We’re not just representing my family, our team, but just the entire nation.
“The whole country itself. It’s truly a blessing. It’s a special moment.”
‘Prime James Harden’
One member of the pool who is happy to see Juan GDL is Dwight Ramos, who was on the same Gilas pool under coach Tab Baldwin five years ago.
“We were on the same team together when I made my debut. First one. We go way back. I’m happy he’s here. He always had the skills, the talent. It was just a matter of the opportunity coming to him. He kept working. When he got to the PBA, he started showing his skills. That’s why he’s here.”
Ramos even jokingly compared Gomez de Liaño to an NBA legend.
“He’s like prime James Harden. He got the stepback. He’s (a) leftie. He can do it all.”
Regardless if he makes it to the final lineup, what’s clear is that Gomez de Liaño is the early frontrunner for Rookie of the Year and that he can definitely play in the pro league. At the same time, he knows that he has to proceed with caution.
“The PBA is a very tough league. It’s a tough competition to be in and participate in. I just get the confidence from the work I put in every single day.
“It pretty much just comes from that, and the trust I get from my teammates and coaching staff. That being said, it makes my job a lot easier. I get to play my game. I have to be that facilitator, that point guard, the playmaker, that makes the right plays and guides my teammates.”
As for playing for Tim Cone, it’s still early, but Juan Gomez de Liaño says he’s adjusted well.
“I’d say the transition so far, the past two days have been very smooth, honestly. I have a lot of great teammates who have been guiding me throughout the system and how the options and the leads are. It’s been good so far.
“I’m enjoying it. It’s fun. It’s a fun system to play.”
Banner images from Sid Ventura