Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone throughout the Fiba Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers sport. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone might be steering the nationwide staff in Doha in a collection of pleasant video games with an eye fixed on the Fiba Asia Cup 2025 in August.
The Philippines might be taking up Qatar and Lebanon on February 15 and Egypt on February 17 earlier than competing within the Asian Qualifiers’ third leg a couple of days after.
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With the nationwide staff already certified for the continental meet, Cone mentioned that the upcoming journey could be used to formulate lineups from a replenished roster in preparation primarily for the August occasion and never only for the upcoming third window of the qualifiers.
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“This Doha journey might be an opportunity to combine the beforehand injured guys, AJ Edu and Jamie Malonzo, and play video games with them, in addition to study to regulate to enjoying with out our key man, Kai Sotto,” mentioned Cone.
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“The fundamental factor is, we’re utilizing this Doha journey as an opportunity to arrange, not for this fast window as a result of we’ve already certified, however as a preparation for the Fiba Asia in August.”
Cone mentioned if Gilas hadn’t had an ideal run to date within the Asia Qualifiers, coaching camp plans could be completely different. As an alternative, the staff flies out for Doha on February 13 and heads straight to Taipei and New Zealand for the away video games.
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“To be trustworthy, if we weren’t already certified, we might not be going to Doha,” admitted Cone.
“We’d as a substitute take that point to essentially deal with beating Chinese language Taipei and NZ. We perceive the journey might be robust going from Doha to Taipei to New Zealand in a matter of days, however the harder the higher as we put together,” he added.
Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone, left, June Mar Fajardo, center, and AJ Edu throughout follow.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
Gilas can have the companies of beforehand injured key cogs Edu, who’s competing within the Japan B.League and Malonzo, who’s enjoying underneath Cone for the Gin Kings, because the staff navigates the absence Sotto as a result of a torn ACL harm.
“He’ll be out for perhaps a yr. However, he’s younger. Twenty-two. Should you’re going to have it, now’s the time. At that age, he can simply get well from that. The medical career is absolutely superb lately in what they will do,” Cone mentioned of Sotto.
“Like I all the time say about accidents, it’s nearly merciless to say it, however this has all the time been the philosophy, you are feeling unhealthy about accidents for ten minutes, then you definitely transfer on. As a result of there’s nothing you are able to do about it.”
Additionally lacking the Qatar video games is Japeth Aguilar, who might be attending to some household issues throughout that point interval.
Gilas Pilipinas faces Chinese language Taipei on February 20 in Taiwan and New Zealand on February 23.
