After underwhelming World Cup, Scottie seeks redemption in Asiad

Scottie Thompson (left) was hardly in focus during the World Cup. —AUGUST DELA CRUZ

Scottie Thompson knows his performance during the 2023 Fiba World Cup was subpar.

And while he’s raring to make up for it in the 19th Asian Games, the Barangay Ginebra star is wary that such eagerness gets in the way of what truly matters.

“It was a low performance for me. But I know what my capabilities are,” he told the Inquirer in Filipino. “Going into the Asian Games, my mindset is to atone. But I also have to make sure that doing so doesn’t overlap with serving the team, our circle.”

Thompson, a do-it-all playmaker for the Gin Kings in the Philippine Basketball Association, was hardly a factor for the Philippines in the recent global showcase.

The reigning PBA Most Valuable Player averaged only 1.8 points, two rebounds and 2.2 assists over the course of the tournament, a far cry from his usual numbers during the windows and an even more significant dip from his usual averages for his mother club.

Thompson is set to co-banner a Gilas squad littered with PBA standouts, including Ginebra teammates Justin Brownlee and Japeth Aguilar. He is also set to figure prominently for Tim Cone, his Gin Kings mentor.

Such conditions would allow Thompson to truly rebound from his underwhelming World Cup stint, but the indefatigable Ginebra ace feels that there are no certainties in the sport.

“There may be advantages after having played so long for coach Tim. But that doesn’t guarantee that I’d turn in a great performance,” he said.

“What I can promise, though, is I’ll turn in my best effort for the country,” he added. “At the end of the day, that’s what really matters.”

“If I’m able to do that, I’ll be at peace. Whatever the result may be,” he said.

Thompson and the rest of the new-look Gilas crew featuring Kevin Alas, Chris Ross, CJ Perez, Arvin Tolentino, and Marcio Lassiter arrived in China on Sunday.

The Nationals open their campaign against an undersized Bahrain on Tuesday, Sept. 26, with Cone holding on to the belief that Gilas will get better as the games plod along.

“The more time we have, the more games we have, that offense will grow. Hopefully, it will grow from solid to, you know, good, to great. Then maybe, special. That’s the challenge,” he said. INQ