Gilas Pilipinas during a FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifier game against Hong Kong at the Mall of Asia Arena. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
With the spot in the FIBA Asia Cup secured, Gilas Pilipinas will have to play two more games in the third window of qualifiers in February next year before the main tournament in Saudi Arabia.
These will be no unfavorable matches for national coach Tim Cone, who is viewing both games in the same manner as he viewed last night’s clash against winless Hong Kong at the Mall of Asia Arena.
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“The two away games we have in February are going to be the hardest part. Two tough teams and both on the road. It’s going to be a hard load for us [but] We’re already looking forward to the challenge,” Cone said of return matches against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand shortly after beating Hong Kong 93-54 late Sunday night.
It may seem as if nothing is at stake for the Philippines anymore. The Gilas officially clinched a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup on Monday afternoon after New Zealand defeated Chinese Taipei 81-64 in Christchurch.
But Cone has longer-range goals. And after playing the World Cup on home soil, Grand Slam coaches understand the difficulties of achieving success on the road.
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“We had a chance to play in the 2023 World Cup on home soil. But now, all those (games) are going to be on the road. So we have to learn how to play well on the road,” he said.
“The whole purpose of these windows is to get better – use the experience we got while playing in these windows and add [them] for the experience we had [Olympic Qualifiers]Hopefully, it will take our game into the next window where we are now going on the road, and that will be important for us to learn because we have to learn how to play on the road and win on the road.”
Casual
This approach will give the Nationals prominence not only for the Asia Cup in Jeddah but also for future FIBA tournaments, which will have much higher stakes. Ultimately, Cone formed the team on the idea that the Philippines would return to the World Cup, and hopefully, qualify for the Summer Olympic Games which will next be held in Los Angeles.
Gilas really tried to make good use of such an opportunity when they again faced the Hong Kong team which they had defeated by 30 points last time. Instead of the veterans creating early gaps to allow the younger players to feast, it was the latter that helped the Nationals avoid defeat, which fortunately turned out to be an exercise in players’ instincts.
“We all come to the team with different habits,” Cone said, “and so it’s really just trying to get us all on the same page and create similar habits so we can all play together and have a— To read to others.”
maintain the pool
Carl Tamayo was the poster boy for that effort, rebounding from an average performance against New Zealand by finishing with a team-best 16 points with five rebounds. Kevin Quiambao finished the season scoring eight points while adding five rebounds and four assists after sitting out the win over the Tall Blacks. Mason Amos also hit a triple to seal the victory for the Filipinos, who remained scoreless across four games and two windows.
“He got out, he hit the three-point shot, he got to the basket, he had a post-up, he had an offensive rebound… and that’s what we’re looking for in our young guys,” Tamayo said. Who. “We want to utilize his total game, and that’s the situation with him, that’s the situation with KQ and even Mason.”
“I’ll never stop saying it, they’re superstars on this team and they’re still learning and feeling their way,” he said.
“And it’s not, like we always say, it’s not an all-star team. We’re not there to showcase our individual skills, and we have to come together as a team, and sometimes that requires hard coaching, and that’s what I like about this team. They really embrace that idea, and it makes this team a lot easier to handle from a coaching standpoint.
Cone did not rule out the possibility of reworking the talent pool in the future. But it’s something he’s not eager to do, especially after making significant progress with this team this year.
“I am less likely to want to increase the pool. I think the more you grow the pool, the more teaching you have to do,” he said. “If you start expanding the pool, you have to go back to zero and start re-teaching everything you’ve taught.”
“It would be better if we can be strict… everything will be assessed by the end of the year. But hopefully, everyone—all the higher-ups—is happy with what’s going on, and they’ll want to continue a consistent program,” the veteran adviser said.
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“We can very easily make a few changes here and there that might help us move forward better.” inquiry
