WITH the FIBA Asia Cup’s first window quickly approaching, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone has only one aim in mind: to make it to the Olympics, whether in Paris next year or Los Angeles in 2028.
For Cone, the approaching window represents a crucial step toward Gilas’ future shift. The national team’s ideal plan is to be the top Asian team and qualify for the Olympics.
“Our goal is, in my mind, to make the Olympics. I think that’s really our goal… whether it be Paris or whether it be LA in four years or five years,” he shared during the press conference at the Philsports Arena on Monday.
Photo Courtesy: Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas | Facebook
“Our goal is to make the Olympics, and we do that by either qualifying in Latvia or being the best Asian team in the World Cup.”
“To do that, we have to qualify for the World Cup and to do that we have to qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup. And it’s all a progression that goes forward,” he added.
However, Gilas lost their height advantage before their first game versus Hong Kong on Thursday, as seven-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo and versatile big man AJ Edu are both recovering from injuries.
Both of the aforementioned players will be unable to suit up for the national team during the tournament’s opening window, which runs from February 22 to February 25.
Fajardo’s doctors instructed him to rest for two weeks after sustaining the injury during the just concluded PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, in which he and San Miguel triumphed over Magnolia in six games.
“Nakakalungkot man kasi gusto ko maglaro sa Gilas,” he remarked. “Ginagawa ko naman
‘yung best ko na sana mag-heal agad para makahabol ako sa mga practices.”
Photo Courtesy: Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas | Facebook
With Fajardo presumably sidelined for the first window, Japeth Aguilar was recently added to the roster as a replacement for Abay. Despite the absence of his key frontline, Cone remains confident.
“We love our size even though we are going to miss June Mar and AJ. That’s 6-11 and 6-10 that we will have… Japeth being able to back-up Kai is going to be really big for us,” Cone said.
“And Carl (Tamayo) is our third-string center. He might have to play out of position. But these are the things that happen in any basketball team,” he said, referring to the potential of playing position-less basketball.
Photo Courtesy: Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas | Facebook
Meanwhile, fan favorite Dwight Ramos is optimistic in the Gilas’ present squad. Saying that it wouldn’t be a big deal because the current lineup is full of returning players from previous tournaments.
“It feels good. I think it’s a good idea to keep everybody,” Dwight stated. “Of course, there are things that could come, especially if someone gets hurt, but keeping most players every time helps from window to window.”
“The chemistry is always gonna be there. It’s not new people coming in and then figuring out how to play with them, so I think it’s a good idea. We’re gonna make it work for the next four years,” he said.
Gilas entered the battlefield with an 11-man roster that included Kai Sotto, Dwight Ramos, and Carl Tamayo, all overseas imports from Japan and Korea.
Serving as PBA veterans are Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez, Jamie Malonzo, Scottie Thompson, Kevin Quiambao, Chris Newsome, Japeth Aguilar, and Justin Brownlee, the country’s naturalized player.
Gilas will face Hong Kong on Thursday at 8 p.m. local time, and Taiwan on Sunday at 7:30 p.m.
