Gilas Pilipinas player Jordan Clarkson. –Jalin Morgan / Instagram.com/donthypeme
MANILA, Philippines—Dominican Republic doesn’t have the complete blueprint yet on how to defeat Gilas Pilipinas but one thing’s for sure, Jordan Clarkson will be of significant focus.
During a press conference at Araneta Coliseum on Thursday, coach Nèstor Garcia said that Clarkson is a problem for the Dominicans in their Fiba World Cup opener match-up, especially with his NBA-caliber skills.
“He can shoot, [even] with long range. He’s really, really dangerous,” Garcia said. “All Philippine team members have good shooters, even the big guys, but he’s (Clarkson) really, really fast.”
Clarkson’s quickness and efficiency from the field add to Gilas Pilipinas’ arsenal while also being evident for the Utah Jazz in the NBA.
The Gilas’ naturalized player flashed his shooting prowess in the big leagues, averaging 20.8 points per game on a 44.4 percent field goal clip while also shooting 33.8 percent from the three-point area.
Even Dominican Republic captain Eloy Vargas is aware of Clarkson’s finesse inside the court to be lethal. After all, he shared the floor with the shooting guard back in 2014 for the South Bay Lakers in the NBA’s G.League.
“We know each other a little bit. I know he’s a good shooter, very athletic and fast,” said Vargas.
Vargas, however, remained locked in on the whole Gilas roster and not just the NBA veteran.
“I’m excited to play everybody in the Philippines. It’s what we came here to play for. I’m excited about other players when we watched films.”
The Dominicans and Gilas face off on Friday at Philippine Arena, Bulacan, following the clash between Angola and Italy.