Gilas Pilipinas begins its training camp for the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers second window. –SBP PHOTO
Gilas Pilipinas goes up against a new-look New Zealand squad in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers this coming Thursday, but national coach Tim Cone knows all too well just how dangerous a team can be when starting from scratch.
“I think this is their first game together, as a group,” he said of the Tall Blacks who will now have Judd Flavell, a member of the famed 2002 World Cup roster, as its new head coach.
Article continues after this advertisement READ: June Mar Fajardo gets ample rest before another Gilas stint“I remember our first game when we played in Hong Kong when we first got together. There was a lot of excitement, a lot of energy and we were raring to play. So we expect that from them,” he went on.
FEATURED STORIES SPORTS SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers SPORTS New Zealand Tall Blacks make for tough Gilas Pilipinas assignment SPORTS LA Tenorio named new Gilas Youth coach with 'continuity' in mindCone and his long-haul cast geared toward the next World Cup made their debut last February in the first window of the continental qualifiers and quickly made an impression.
The Nationals whipped Hong Kong by 30 points and then crushed Chinese-Taipei by 53 a few days later for an early lead in Group B play.
Article continues after this advertisement READ: Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone says Scottie Thompson presence ‘irreplaceable’Since then, the glut of that squad has trained and played important battles together, including the stunning upset of then-World No. 6 Latvia at the latter’s home turf in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament last July.
Article continues after this advertisementThat string of success might install the Nationals as favorites in the match set at 7:30 p.m. at Mall of Asia Arena. But Cone is looking at it from another angle.
Article continues after this advertisement“They’ll know us a little bit better because they’ve seen us in the OQT, and they’ve seen us in some of our windows already,” the seasoned mentor pointed out. “So, in that regard, they are going to have a little bit of advantage.”
‘Jogging your memory’“Again, the coach is brand new and he’s brought, you know, three or four of his players along so they’re going to have continuity,” he said of New Zealand, which is also going into the clash with a 2-0 win-loss mark.
Article continues after this advertisement“They’ll bring in a lot of more size than they have in the past [as] they got a couple of guys who are 6-foot-11, 7 feet. They [have their] youth team and now they’re being brought up. And so, this team looks a lot more, if I may say, a bit younger but more athletic.”
READ: ‘Dominant’ June Mar Fajardo expected for Gilas in 2nd Fiba window
A win over the Tall Blacks will give the Philippine solo lead of Group B, and will finally end a losing skid to the Kiwis. Gilas has lost all of its four previous meetings to New Zealand on the Fiba stage.
Gilas has been holding camp at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba where they hope to shake off some cobwebs.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
“The first practice is always the hardest one because we’re trying to get everybody again and we’re trying to get them to rehash the offense. There’s always a little bit of confusion trying to kind of remember (things)jilievo online gaming, jogging your memory a little bit,” he said on the sidelines of the first day of training.
READ NEXT NBA: Lakers come back to beat Pelicans for fifth straight win UAAP: Maroons find groove and send Tamaraws packing EDITORS' PICK DTI: Essential Noche Buena items remain at 2023 prices PDEA, DDB open to downgrading marijuana from dangerous drugs list US, PH alliance to ‘transcend’ changes of administration – Austin Man-yi leaves 7 dead in PH and worsens crisis from successive storms Thanksgiving 2024: Nearly 80 million expected to travel for the holiday ‘Amihan’ season begins, says Pagasa MOST READ Poll watchdogs laud Comelec’s update on social media regulations Comelec lists approved areas for mock elections, no date set yet House insists on ‘ayuda’ Senate wants to defund Peso may fall to 59, BSP to intervene Follow @FMangosingINQ on Twitter --> View comments