Tim Cone will take deliberate method to Gilas post-mortem after exit

Gilas Pilipinas towards Australia throughout the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup quarterfinals. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas’ quarterfinal exit from the Fiba Asia Cup by the hands of Australia has prompted questions on what must be achieved with a view to enhance the crew, particularly with the World Cup Qualifiers slated later this yr.

Coach Tim Cone isn’t in a rush to reply these questions and can take a extra deliberate method towards determining why his wards crashed out early from a match that noticed Gilas endure challenges that may require the teaching workers’s consideration earlier than the primary qualification window.

“It’s too early to look and say, ‘We’ll, that is what we’d like at this level,’” Cone mentioned after Gilas was proven the door by the Aussies, 84-60, on Wednesday at King Abdullah Sports activities Metropolis in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

“We acquired to essentially digest this. We acquired to take a look at video. We acquired to see what’s happening and go ahead,” added Cone.

The Philippines acquired off on a tough patch in Jeddah, dropping to Chinese language-Taipei and New Zealand earlier than getting some character-building wins over Iraq on the shut of group play and host Saudi Arabia in an exciting quarterfinal qualification sport.

Within the first three video games, Gilas battled gradual begins and performed catch-up whereas additionally having bother defending the three-point shot. Cone’s males did bounce on Saudi Arabia from the onset, however needed to climate the hosts’ terrific taking pictures late within the fourth to sneak out an extra time win.

However Australia’s high quality got here out within the quarterfinals, happening a 13-4 begin, taking a 24-8 lead and ending the primary quarter up, 29-12—a product of terrific offensive execution coupled with Gilas’ poor taking pictures. From there, the Philippines couldn’t recuperate.

“I didn’t assume we stepped up as a lot as we wished to,” mentioned Cone. “Little question that the Australian athleticism and size [were a factor]. Although you see it on video, whenever you rise up there and begin enjoying towards them, you understand that they’re very superior.

“So we simply had a tough time staying in entrance of them, we had a tough time difficult their threes, they moved the ball very well and so they acquired pictures fast. We tried to maintain it at a slower tempo however we didn’t have sufficient self-discipline to do this all through the sport. And the Aussies did a very good job defending Justin [Brownlee], limiting him to seven pictures,” added Cone.

With the match over, there are many takes round social media, notably the make-up of Cone’s pool which has been very lean and virtually since he took over because the everlasting man to deal with the nationwide crew.

Whether or not Cone might entertain the prospect of increasing it stays to be seen, however the Gilas coach insists that there’s no means for this system to return from scratch.

“We put this crew collectively for the long run, making an attempt to get them to develop collectively and get higher. And if we’re simply gonna go forward and alter personnel, then we’re all again to zero once more,” mentioned Cone. “So we’re gonna use this [Asia Cup campaign] and attempt to get some changes.”

Gilas will as soon as once more face Australia and New Zealand in Group A of the World Cup Qualifiers plus Guam, which is led by San Miguel Beer’s Jericho Cruz. The November window will tentatively put the Nationals in a home-and-home collection with Guam earlier than going through the 2 Oceania powers in February and July.

Cone is banking on Kai Sotto’s return as early because the qualification opener, which might be an enormous raise for Gilas.

“Hopefully we get Kai and that makes us just a little bit extra aggressive,” mentioned Cone.