GILAS Pilipinas wrapped up its four-day training camp behind closed doors yesterday at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna with coach Tim Cone preaching team play and defense as their trump card.
“If we’re defending and we are sharing the ball, those are indicators that we are growing and we’ll get better,” Cone said. “We’re going to be a team that moves the ball a lot–probably more than people would want us to.
“In the meantime, we want guys to be really dedicated on the defensive side. It’s not something taken as seriously as it was in the past, and I think that it could be a difference-maker for our team,” he added.
PBA Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference CJ Perez has showed up in the Nationals’ preparations two days back for the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers this week.
Perez joined the likes of former MVP Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, Kai Sotto, and Kevin Quiambao.
Reigning seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo is still recovering from a calf injury he suffered during San Miguel Beer’s six-game title conquest of the season-opening tilt against Magnolia.
Big man AJ Edu Edu will also miss Gilas’ games in the opening round of the qualifiers due to a torn meniscus injury but Ginebra forward-center Japeth Aguilar, veteran playmaker LA Tenorio, and reserve guard Donald Gumaru also helped in the practices.
Gilas will kick off its campaign on the road against Hong Kong this Thursday and will face Chinese Taipei three days later at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
The second round of the qualifiers is set for Nov. 21 and Nov. 24.
The Filipino dribblers will also face a daunting task to clinch a slot in the Paris Olympics in July.
The Philippines is bracketed with host and world No. 8 Latvia, and No. 23 Georgia in Group A in the Olympic qualifying tournament in July.
Cone has set his sights on the future, using Iran’s blueprint during its glory days in the Hamed Haddadi era.
“They (Iranians) kept the team together despite their league. They kept the team together, and they dominated the Asian circuit for eight to 10 years with Haddadi in their group,” Cone said. “That’s the idea here. We have less preparation time, but less disruption, so we use the one window to prepare us for the second window.
“It’s just like playing the first conference to get us better to the second, and the second to the third. So, it’s kind of that idea but instead, we do it in four years.”
