Gilas Pilipinas has wrapped up the primary window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers with dominant wins towards Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei, kicking off the Tim Cone period for the nationwide staff.
What’s subsequent for them?
According to Cone, members of Gilas Pilipinas will now rejoin their mom groups throughout the PBA and the Japan B. League whereas Kevin Quiambao, the one non-professional within the pool, will return to De La Salle University for his or her UAAP bid.
They will then take an extended break earlier than reconvening in late June to start out the buildup for the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament set in early July. Cone, although, pressured they’ll solely have 10 days to arrange for the OQT attributable to commitments of the gamers to their golf equipment.
“We were just talking in the locker room about how this kind of feels like an ending because we don’t play again until another three or four months and so it kind of feels like an ending for us,” Cone shared.
“We wish we had one more game to play next week or in a couple of days so we can keep this group together, but that’s not something we can control. I don’t think there’s one guy in our team not looking forward to June and getting back together and getting this team going.”
“I think they all had a great time. We’re all looking forward to coming back together in June.”
Gilas has a tricky street forward in the direction of its dream of constructing it to the 2024 Paris Olympics because the Filipinos will tackle world no. 8 Latvia on July 3 on the Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia earlier than dealing with no. 23 Georgia on July 4 on the similar venue.
However, all Cone hopes is to have a wholesome 12-man lineup for the OQT.
They expect to have huge man June Mar Fajardo and AJ Edu again by June, forming a formidable frontcourt alongside 7-foot-3 bruiser Kai Sotto.
“We got 6-foot-10 and 6-foot-11 guys that are gonna come back and join us when they’re healthy and we’re hoping that all 12 guys will be healthy in June,” Cone added.
“Imagine, when we get to that European level, June Mar and Kai are gonna be playing together, AJ and Kai are gonna be playing together. That’s the thing we’re gonna have to work on in those 10 days that we have.”
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
