Three games into the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup and Jamie Malonzo still hasn’t seen action for Gilas Pilipinas—even for a couple of seconds.
But then again, that should be expected, at least according to Gilas coach Tim Cone, for anyone playing in a team loaded with talented players.
“It’s hard playing all 12 players with this much talent on the team, and no one feels worse about not playing him than me,” Cone told media members in a message after Malonzo’s third straight DNP, this time in Gilas Pilipinas’ 66-57 win over Iraq.
He lauded Malonzo’s “professionalism” amid the DNPs and even compared his situation to that of NBA superstar Jayson Tatum, who rarely saw action for Team USA in their golden run in the last Olympics.
“He is our Jayson Tatum,” said Cone. “All 12 guys are committed to each other, and Jamie is showing great professionalism in handling his role.”
Okay, Coach Tim, we hear you. It doesn’t mean we buy it completely.
Jamie Malonzo Is at Least Worth Giving a Shot
Cone admittedly has a point. The problem with it is that Gilas Pilipinas through three games have struggled mightily—even after beating Iraq on Saturday. Against Chinese Taipei, the nationals started flat and looked in need of a spark pretty much the entire game. The same was true against New Zealand, who buried the Philippines under an avalanche of threes in a nightmare first half for Gilas. The same nearly happened versus Iraq.
In all three games, Gilas could’ve used a spark, a change of pace, an active body. Malonzo, who won a championship for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel with Cone, could’ve been that guy—or he could’ve at least tried.
Malonzo’s length and athleticism might’ve helped slow down Chinese Taipei’s Ying Chun Chen, who torched Scottie Thompson and Chris Newsome for 34 points. His size might’ve bothered New Zealand’s Jordan Ngatai, who exploded for 19 first half points as Gilas defenders kept losing him in transition.
Maybe Malonzo would’ve hit a few treys here and there. Maybe he could’ve broken free in transition and gotten a few dunks to fire up the crowd. Maybe Jamie Malonzo would’ve been a difference-maker, maybe even a game-changer.
Maybe Malonzo should’ve gotten some minutes. After all, desperate times call for desperate measures. When you’re down, you dig deep into your bag of tricks. That Cone didn’t reach deep enough to find Jamie Malonzo, his former player, is head-scratching to say the least.
The Jamie Malonzo Freeze-Out Theory
It certainly doesn’t help that Malonzo’s DNPs have come on the heels of his surprise departure from Ginebra in favor of the Japan B.League’s Kyoto Hannaryz just a week or so before the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup started. Naturally, fans and pundits alike are speculating that Malonzo’s abrupt PBA exit has something to do with him not seeing the light of day in Jeddah.
The theory among some is that Cone and Ginebra team manager Al Chua are freezing out Jamie Malonzo as some sort of payback for leaving the barangay for greener pastures. It’s purely speculative, of course, and largely unsubstantiated. But given reports of Chua’s vindictiveness and Cone’s apparent hard-headedness, that freeze-out theory has some legs at least.
Whatever the case, Cone’s words about Malonzo seem wholly insincere—if not hypocritical. Jamie Malonzo, warts and all, still brings something to the table—size, athleticism, some shooting—and giving him 0 minutes in three games with other players struggling just doesn’t make sense.
Cone said it himself. He has 12 talented players. It wouldn’t have hurt to give the last of those 12 at least a couple of minutes. It’s what a professional would’ve done.
