GILAS Pilipinas is sticking to its guns.
While National coach Tim Cone wants more time to whip his wards into one cohesive unit, the chemistry they have developed since last year should be enough to stoke their bid in the FIBA Asia Cup in August in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
At least that should hack it.
“I think kahit sino namang coach would want that. But coach Tim is very aware of the situation that we are in. That’s why he suggested going through windows since last year,” Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Erika Dy said. “Kasi nag-co-compile naman iyong kanilang progress. It’s not like we’re back to zero on July 27.
“It’s the same group of guys. So, they’ve been together. It’s more of reintroducing themselves to each other lang. So, hopefully that pays out well for us,” he added.
With the season-ending PBA Philippine Cup set to wind up on July 27 if and when the finals reach a deciding match, Cone and the Philippine five will have to endure anew the squad’s perennial problem of preparation or the lack of it.
“I believe Game 7 of the PBA (Philippine Cup) is July 27. So, from July 27 to Aug. 5 is the window for coach Tim to prepare. Sa ngayon, he has decided not to compete in friendly tournaments outside of the country,” Dy said. “We will be training here as a team and then we’ll probably leave around Aug. 1 or Aug. 2 to acclimatize ourselves in Jeddah and be better prepared.
“But we’ll probably play an exhibition game here para send-off na rin for the fans. I think it would be nice for the fans to see Gilas play.”
The Filipino cagers seek to prove their mettle in the August 5-17 tourney known formerly as the ABC Championship and FIBA Asia Championship.
Cone’s team is in Group D with New Zealand, Chinese Taipei, and Iraq.
Teams that will top their respective groups will earn outright quarterfinal slots, while the second and third sides to finish in each group will go through a crossover play-in to make it to the next round.
For the amiable and hardworking cage body official, Gilas will make the most out of its likely lone tune-up tiff at home and another one in Jeddah.
“We don’t know who we are going to compete against. So, that’s going to be one tune-up game for us,” Dy said. “Then, when we get to Jeddah, we will probably play one of the teams who come early as well.”
