Tim Cone envisions 'continuity' for Gilas program

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone has been around the program long enough that he already knows what he wants to see for the team to have success: continuity.

The multi-titled Barangay Ginebra coach was recently officially appointed as national team coach for the next four years and spoke about it on the sidelines of the PSA Awards Night held on Monday night at the Diamond Hotel in Manila

"That’s the plan," Cone said when asked about sticking with the team for a four-year cycle.

"I think that’s one thing that we’ve always talked in terms of Gilas—we don’t have a sure level of continuity."

Since the 1998 Asian Games, where Cone called the shots en route to a third place finish, the national team has had many coaching changes with the likes of the late Aric del Rosario, Louie Alas, Jong Uichico, Yeng Guiao, Rajko Toroman, Norman Black, Tab Baldwin, and Chot Reyes assuming the coaching posts in the last 26 years.

"Just back in the 90s, Sonny (Jaworski) coached then four years later it was Norman (Black) then after Norman, it was me then after me it was Yeng (Guiao) then after Yeng, it was Chot," Cone added.

"It’s just one thing after another."

Despite the frequent change, the Philippines has witnessed plenty of success under these respected basketball coaches.

With Alas, Black, Uichico, Baldwin, and Reyes at the helm, the nationals were able to cop a number of SEA Games gold medals to make the country the winningest nation in the biennial regional meet.

Reyes and Guiao were also the men behind the country's trips to three FIBA World Cups in 2014, 2019, and most recently in 2023.

But Cone stressed that continuity - including the retention of the same pool of players for several windows of play - will be an important part of the program.

"We’re hoping that we can use the windows that we have to grow the team, that’s the idea. We’re not gonna ask for a lot of lengthy preparation time, we feel like each window will prepare us for next window which will prepare us for next window," the PBA's most successful coach said.

As part of his vision, Cone has already named the 12-man lineup that will bolster Gilas come the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers next month.

Leading the pack is naturalized player Justin Brownlee, pending his status with FIBA following a failed drug test on the heels of their gold medal run in the 19th Asian Games last year.

The resident Ginebra import will be joined by a mixture of PBA players and overseas players with seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo tipped for another tour of duty alongside Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez, and Jamie Malonzo.

Japan B-League imports Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, and Kai Sotto as well as reigning UAAP MVP Kevin Quiambao have been likewise called up by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

Cone said they will use these upcoming windows to strengthen the bond and create some semblance of chemistry as they look to punch one of the remaining tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics later this year.

"And the idea is over three or four years we should be doing all these windows together and keep the continuity going and have the same system, same players," Cone said.

"And they’ll get to know each other better and better that they’ll reach their full potential after three or four years."

—JMB, GMA Integrated News