ONE would think Ginebra and Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone isn’t keen on learning new things.

For starters, Cone has the most number of titles in the PBA with 25 and has guided the Nationals to new heights, like the gold medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

Think again.

“The size and the athleticism (of players) are growing all the time, and you see that not only in the PBA, but you also see that in the NBA, you see that in Europe. Guys are bigger, stronger, faster and so the game evolves,” Cone said. “I think that’s a big thing for coaches is that we have to evolve and again that’s going back to the idea of continually moving forward.

“You have to move forward all the time and you have to continue to grow, and you have to continue to evolve otherwise the game will leave you behind,” he added.

Cone is convinced the game is evolving fast, making players more versatile and athletic.

“Every era is going to be different. Every generation is going to be different, and I think it starts right now,” Cone said. “The obvious one is that the skill level of players today is much more versatile. They’re much more athletic.

“The game is played differently from it’s played from the perimeter out to in. In the old days it was more in to out and you played from the three-point line.”

Cone will try to lead the Kings anew to the Promised Land of the season-opening Governors’ Cup that gets going on Aug. 18.

The Philippine five is setting its sights on the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.

Gilas will play a pair of home matches against New Zealand on Nov. 21 and Hong Kong three days later both at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.

“Guys are working on different things than they did 20 years ago,” Cone said. “So, there’s an evolution of the game and as the game evolves the players have to evolve as well so they get added skills, they get bigger.”

Cone’s new outlook on the need to improve for both cagers and coaches in the sport so dear to Filipinos would be tested anew.