As Gilas Pilipinas heads into the third window of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers, the margin for error has all but disappeared.
Facing a daunting pair of road assignments against Australia and New Zealand, in Perth, Western Australia, the Philippines find themselves in a position where their World Cup hopes could be defined over the next two games.
In the third part of this series, Gilas Checklist: Kevin Quiambao's chance to establish himself as Gilas' premiere wing, we examine why Kevin Quiambao can finally claim to be the Philippines' best wing -- now and moving forward.
Back at Gilas Pilipinas' open practice before departing for their camp in New Zealand on June 23, head coach Tim Cone had a brief answer when asked about the two-time UAAP MVP's role in the team.
"We looked at it a little bit by trying to narrow the two-guard position down a little bit between Dwight [Ramos] and KQ," Con said. "There wasn't a lot of competition. We're going to try to move KQ to the two-guard position a little bit."
With this in mind, we examine how Quiambao can function as an off guard in this upcoming window for the Philippines.
Quiambao's catch-and-shoot prowess
Where will Gilas find its complementary shooting once defenses inevitably collapse on Justin Brownlee? It's one of the biggest questions for the team entering this window. With the triangle offense designed to generate inside-out opportunities through its pinch-post actions and other screening actions, the weak-side shooter often becomes just as important as the primary option. That role could belong to Quiambao for this next set of games.
The 25-year-old player has already shown he can thrive as a catch-and-shoot weapon in Gilas colors: He averaged 12.0 points while shooting 44.4% from beyond the arc during the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, making defenses pay whenever they collapsed on Brownlee or overhelped inside. Quiambao's willingness to stay spaced along the perimeter and fire without hesitation gave the Philippines another dimension offensively, and kept the triangle from becoming too predictable.
That role, however, faded in the first two windows of the World Cup Qualifiers. Instead of functioning primarily as an off-ball shooter, Quiambao struggled to find a rhythm offensively, averaging just 6.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists on just 43.4 TS%.
Yet, there's still reason for optimism for the former DLSU Green Archer -- as he reprised the role in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) with Goyang Sono Skygunners, becoming an effective catch-and-shoot option off two-man actions and drive-and-kick sequences. Gis outside shooting dipped late in the season, but he still enjoyed a strong stretch in February, averaging 17.7 points while shooting 38.8% from three. If Gilas can tap back into that version of Quiambao, his shooting could become one of the keys to stretching the floor and giving the triangle offense the balance it needs against two elite defensive teams.
Another shot creator in Quiambao
While Quiambao's catch-and-shoot ability remains one of his biggest strengths, his offensive game continues to evolve. During his second season in Korea, he was entrusted with more on-ball responsibilities, operating out of off-ball screening actions, attacking closeouts, and creating his own offense rather than simply waiting for kick-out passes.
This expanded offensive responsibility could give Gilas another source of shot creation.
In the KBL, Quiambao has become much more comfortable operating with the ball in his hands, coming off pindowns, flare screens, and dribble handoffs to get downhill or rise into pull-up jumpers to average 15.3 points per game. Rather than simply spacing the floor, he has shown the ability to attack closeouts, create separation off one or two dribbles, and manufacture quality looks when the initial action doesn't produce an advantage.
Encouragingly, his increased scoring burden hasn't come at the expense of his playmaking. Quiambao has remained a willing passer, consistently making the right read once help defenders commit with an average of 4.0 assists. Whether it's finding the roll man, hitting a shooter on the weak side, or making the extra pass to keep the possession alive, he has continued to show the vision that made him one of the more versatile forwards in Philippine basketball.
The challenge is translating that expanded role to the FIBA stage.
With Brownlee remaining the focal point of the offense, Quiambao must strike the right balance between creating when opportunities arise and keeping the triangle flowing. If he can pick his spots, make sound decisions, and capitalize on secondary actions, he could provide Gilas with another reliable shot creator against Australia and New Zealand.