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Gilas Pilipinas lose Sotto, Edu, Fajardo for Asian Games

Gilas Pilipinas will defend its Asian Games title without key big men Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, and June Mar Fajardo, relying on a smaller, faster all-PBA lineup. Justin Brownlee's availability remains uncertain due to injury.

What it means

• Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, and June Mar Fajardo are out of the Asian Games roster, leaving the team without its twin towers and veteran center.
• Coach Tim Cone plans an uptempo style to compensate for the lack of size, with only three players from the Asian Qualifiers team retained.
• Justin Brownlee is recovering from knee and leg injuries and may join if healthy, with a roster spot reserved for him.

Model read

The absence of three key big men notably weakens Gilas Pilipinas' frontcourt and rebounding, forcing a faster, smaller lineup that may struggle against taller opponents like China in the group stage.

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