Gilas Pilipinas will officially start preparations for two big tournaments that will be taking place just weeks apart: the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers and the 20th Asian Games. Notably, both campaigns are already facing setbacks that are likely to make winning all the more challenging.
FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers: Must-Win Game Ahead
First on the docket for Tim Cone will be preparations for the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, which will take place here in the Philippines from August 27 to 31. Expected to banner the national team’s campaign again is more or less the same Gilas Pilipinas core that played New Zealand and Australia in the third window. That includes naturalized player Justin Brownlee, whom Cone said will arrive on Sunday (yesterday).
Being the first order of business, Cone will be handling the build-up to the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, all while part of the Gilas coaching staff takes care of preparations for the Asian Games.
“We’re gonna have two pretty much separate teams. One for the window and one for the Asian Games. That’s pretty much the plan,” said Cone. “We’re going to practice separately. The plan is for me to handle the window until we get it done and to transfer to the Asian team. In the meantime, Richard [del Rosario], Josh [Reyes], and Jong [Uichico] will handle the Asian Games.”
After losing both games in the third window, Gilas Pilipinas is facing must-win games against Middle East powerhouses Jordan and Iran—and it will likely have to win without centerpiece big man Kai Sotto. As of this writing, there’s still no confirmation as to Sotto’s participation, with Cone himself noting that Kaiju hasn’t put out word yet if he will join Gilas or not.
Asian Games: All-PBA Crew to Defend Gold
Next on the docket will be the Asian Games, which will take place from September 19 to October 4 in Nagoya, Japan. It will be a title defense for Gilas Pilipinas after Brownlee led the nationals to Asiad gold back in 2023.
Brownlee is again expected to headline the national team in Nagoya. However, he will be playing with a completely new set of teammates composed of only PBA players, as the country’s exports to the Japan B.League and KBL—Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, and Dwight Ramos, to name three—won’t be released for the quadrennial games.
“None of the Japan and Korean players can play in the Asian Games, so we just decided to pretty much bring an all-PBA contingent to the Asiad along with Justin (Brownlee),” Cone said in the aftermath of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s 97-88 loss to the Meralco Bolts in the PBA’s final playdate before the long break. “It’s going to be Justin and an all-PBA team.”
The initial plan was to team Brownlee up with Bennie Boatwright, who is expected to take JB’s place moving forward. However, Boatwright’s papers, as of this writing, are still not in order, making it near impossible that he will be cleared in time for the Asiad.
Gilas Pilipinas’ preparations for both tournaments officially start later today.
