Cone armed with renewed hope for Asiad
GILAS Pilipinas usually holds practice at night. With new coach Tim Cone calling the shots, the nationals buckled down to work yesterday afternoon.
That’s one of the adjustments Cone–armed with renewed hope–came up with as Gilas buckled down to work, scrambling to prove its true worth in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Cone has also brought back Calvin Abueva and Terrence Romeo to give the squad added teeth and more flexibility and tapped power forward Jason Perkins, who is set to make his debut with the squad.
“This is our group. This is what we’re going to go with. We’re really, really keeping our fingers crossed with Jason (Perkins) and Calvin (Abueva) because it’s the two positions we don’t really have, that three (small forward), four (power forward) guys,” Cone said yesterday after the team’s first official practice at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig. “If we can get them, that makes us more versatile because that means we can move Justin (Brownlee) around to different positions.
“Without them we’re really guard-heavy or big-heavy. We don’t have the in-between guys. So, Calvin and ‘Perk’ are really important to us,” he added.
Abueva, along with Romeo, are making their return to the national team after last seeing action in the infamous brawl with Australia in a FIBA World Cup Asian qualifying tiff at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue in 2018.
Cone tapped naturalized players Justin Brownlee, Ange Kouame, and Mo Tautuaa to boost the 12-man quintet that also features World Cup holdovers Scottie Thompson, June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, and Roger Pogoy.
Completing the Gilas side for the Asiad are Calvin Oftana and Chris Newsome, while Stanley Pringle will serve as an alternate player.
“Stanley is here as an alternate in case anything happens” Cone said. “He knows the system, he’s a logical choice for us. He’s willing to be here with the idea that he may not make the 12, but at this point he’s an alternate.”
Cone said they are still appealing the inclusion of Abueva and Perkins since neither were on the initial list of 60 players submitted by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee last July.
“They’re 100% sure to be on the team if they’re allowed to be on the team. They weren’t on the original list of 60 that was submitted, so because of Jamie’s (Malonzo) and Brandon’s (Ganuelas-Rosser) injuries, we’re asking for a ruling that we can replace them with Calvin and ‘Perk’ (Perkins),” Cone said.
“We’re not going to know that until maybe Friday or Saturday. So, they’re willing to practice with us with the opportunity, but if not we’re gonna have to look for replacements.”
Cone marveled at the composition of the Philippine five.
“We’re running different stuff than what we ran with the World Cup team. So, I’m good with what we’ve got, and I think we’ve got a good balance of size, of quickness at the three and four,” he said. “We’ve got good guards. We’ve got good shooters in Roger and Terrence and Calvin (Oftana) and Justin. We’re pretty well-equipped. We’ve got some great defenders in “Perk” and Newsome.
“We’ve got Scottie’s all-around play. He’s going to probably be a little bit more comfortable in what we do than what he was doing in the World Cup and we’ve got June Mar. June Mar in Asia, man–(there) aren’t many players like June Mar in Asia.”
Cone, 65, is back at the helm of the Filipino cagers after he guided the Centennial Team to a bronze medal triumph in the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok.
Former coach Chot Reyes “stepped” aside after Gilas’ FIBA World Cup stint where it wound up with a 1-4 record.
Bracketed in Group C, Gilas opens its bid against Bahrain on Sept. 26.
Jordan, which will field reigning PBA Governors’ Cup best import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as naturalized player, and Thailand complete Gilas’ group.
The likes of Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, and Kiefer Ravena will not suit for Gilas in the Asian Games since reported back to their ball clubs in the Japan B.League.
Gilas, whose core was made up of Rain or Shine and bolstered by Jordan Clarkson under strategist Yeng Guiao, finished fifth in the last Asian Games in Jakarta five years ago.
