A Shortage in Gilas Bigs: Can Erram Pick Up the Slack?

If we are to look back at the 24-man pool that SBP has assembled for the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers which will happen this month, there were five PBA veteran big men included:
- Christian Standhardinger

- Japeth Aguilar

- Marc Pingris

- Troy Rosario

- JP Erram

Of the five names above, only three will be competing for a slot in the final 12 that will play against Thailand and Indonesia on the 20th and 23rd respectively. Those are Erram, Pingris, and Rosario. 

Standhardinger is dealing with a knee injury that can't be rehabilitated in time for this month's pair of games while Aguilar is going on an extended honeymoon. And while Marc Pingris' leadership and experience with the national team can earn him a spot in the final 12, while the pool also includes Isaac Go, Justine Baltazar, and Allyn Bulanadi, the question remains: who will now become Gilas' main man in the middle- a spot held many times by June Mar Fajardo, Aguilar, and Standhardinger?

The obvious choice, for now, would be JP Erram of the NLEX Road Warriors. 

Sure, Gilas can try Isaac Go or even give Bulanadi a try but in terms of experience both in the PBA and in the international scene, Erram would be the ideal choice.

While it's true that Erram has been haunted by constant injuries which included the one he sustained just 2 weeks before the FIBA World Cup last year, we all know that a healthy JP Erram is the same Erram who won the Defensive Player of the Year for the 2018 season and also the same guy who was included in the Mythical Second Team in the same season. But more than his seeming incapability to stay away from injuries in the long haul, it's now the question of whether or not JP Erram is ready to take the lead and carry the flag as the man in the middle for the national team. 

While his 6-foot-7 height is an ideal height for a center in the PBA, the height may not be a problem for the nationals as they are going head-to-head against a Thai squad with a smaller frontline- the same team the Pinoys crushed during the gold medal match of the 30th SEA Games last year. If Erram can take advantage of this opportunity to lead the national team in the first two games of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers, not only will it increase his PBA value, 

While his averages have gone down to 10 points and 6 rebounds per contest in the 2019 Governors' Cup, JP Erram is more than capable of putting up bigger than numbers under the brighter lights and nothing could come brighter as the lights when the Thais come to play in our own background on the 20th. It's now up to Erram to impress the coaching staff of the national team and, to the coaching staff to decide whether or not Erram will be indeed included in the final 12 for this window. 

Photo is from Hoops Pilipinas