Tag: Cone

Tim Cone rues Kai Sotto absence in Gilas loss to Brazil

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Injured center Kai Sotto sits on Gilas Pilipinas bench during a game against Brazil in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia.–FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas sorely missed the absence of Kai Sotto in a loss to Brazil on Saturday that ended its hopes of making the Paris Olympics.

Sotto was sidelined due to a bruised rib he suffered against Georgia on Thursday.

Without the 7-foot-3 center, Gilas just couldn’t provide enough resistance in the paint against Brazil, which was led by former NBA veteran Bruno Caboclo.

READ: Gilas struggles against Brazil in Fiba OQT loss

“We don’t want to make excuses but losing Kai was big for us,” said Cone after Gilas’ 71-60 loss. “It just took away our depth in the front line.”

The 6-foot-9 Caboclo, a first round pick by the Toronto Raptors in 2014, muscled his way to 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Gilas tried to fill the void by playing June Mar Fajardo extended minutes. The seven-time PBA MVP stepped up with 10 points and 11 rebounds but he could only do so much in 30 minutes of action.

READ: Tim Cone on Gilas’ Fiba OQT campaign: Now we know we can compete

“It [Sotto’s absence] forced June Mar Fajardo to overplay minutes and that all mushroomed from there but the bottom line is we just weren’t good enough tonight,” Cone said. “They played us with a really physical brand of basketball… We lacked in the big, we had to overplay our frontline.”

“More than anything, I think June Mar got really tired having to face 51 (Bruno Caboclo) and No. 6 (Cristiano Felicio). Those two guys banged on him and rotated on him and it was a tough battle for him being there by himself.”

Prior to the injury, Sotto averaged 11 points, four rebounds and 1.5 blocks in two games against Latvia and Georgia.

Sotto was among Gilas’ heroes in its stunning upset of world No. 6 Latvia on Thursday, posting 18 points, eight rebounds and a block in close to 33 minutes of play.



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Tim Cone says Gilas star Justin Brownlee ‘should be in the NBA’

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Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee puts on another sensational game to help secure the Fiba OQT semifinals ticket. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone believes NBA teams missed an opportunity to have “a big moment guy and best teammate ever” in Justin Brownlee as Philippine basketball continues to gain from his storied career.

Brownlee is the biggest key to Gilas moving within just two wins away from entering the Paris Olympics after leading the team with an average of 27.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists to reach the semifinal of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga.

Cone isn’t surprised with the stellar showing of his longtime import for Barangay Ginebra but he reminds the world what the NBA is missing out on since the 36-year-old forward went undrafted in 2011.

HIGHLIGHTS: Gilas Pilipinas vs Georgia Fiba OQT July 4

Brownlee only played the G-League with the Maine Red Claws and NBA Summer League with the New York Knicks in 2012 before syiting up for their developmental affiliate, Erie Bayhawks.

“I’ve said this before: Somebody in the NBA missed out on this guy. They weren’t on the ball, they should have seen this guy he never should have been in the Philippines. He should be in the NBA,” said Cone in the press conference of Gilas’ 96-94 loss to Georgia on Thursday to cap the group stage with a 1-1 record.

“He is a big moment guy. He plays huge in big moments. And he has proven it over and over again. What he’s [been] doing in this tournament is no surprise to what we’ve seen throughout his career in the Philippines. He’s dominant there and he’s always engaged. When he’s aggressive, there’s just nobody better than him,” he added.

It wasn’t Cone who just praised Brownlee. Kai Sotto made a bold statement after their shocking 89-80 win over World No.6 Latvia that their naturalized forward is “Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball” while Dwight Ramos tagged him as the best teammate he has ever played with.

READ: Gilas’ Justin Brownlee ‘Michael Jordan of PH basketball’

Brownlee, who willed the Philippines back from 20 points down against Georgia with another near-triple-double performance of 28 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, was grateful to hear those kind words from his teammates.

“Man, I really appreciate the compliment from both guys but I really don’t know how to feel about that. I just try to the [get the] W. and I always [try to be] a really good teammate, try to jell with the guys, try to get guys going and try to play off of the guys as well as try to get them playing off me,” Brownlee said.

Gilas Pilipinas' Justin Brownlee puts on another sensational game to help the secure the Fiba OQT semifinals ticket.

Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee puts on another sensational game to help secure the Fiba OQT semifinals ticket. –FIBA PHOTO

“Being compared to Michael Jordan of the Philippines. I don’t even know what to say about that but I definitely appreciate the compliment.”

Brownlee, who also delivered the country’s first Asian Games basketball gold in 61 years, said that he is just applying what Cone has been teaching him since he joined Ginebra in 2016.

READ: Gilas win over Latvia puts spotlight on Tim Cone triangle offense

“I would be nothing without [my] teammates. A famous quote that coach Tim tells the Ginebra guys and on the Gilas team is, ‘One is too small of a number to achieve greatness,’” he said. “I just try to go by that and try to get the best out of the team and try to put my best for the team.”

Cone had no shortage of praises for his longtime player, who already delivered six PBA championships out of the 25 the legendary coach has earned.

And Brownlee c0ntinues to deliver for Cone, this time on the international level for Gilas Pilipinas.

“He’s absolutely the best teammate I’ve ever seen through all my coaching, he’s just a tremendous teammate,” the Gilas coach said. “He has that rare skill that every time he plays and any team he plays, he makes the players around him better, they play at a higher level.”



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“I used to think I was really a good coach because I had him all the time and then he goes to another team and still wins everywhere he goes. So obviously it’s not me, it’s really him because he just wins everywhere, any country he goes to, they win championships and it’s amazing because he knows how to make people better around him.”

The coach-player tandem of Cone and Brownlee tries to bring their magic to Gilas, which battles Brazil in the semifinal on Saturday for a chance to enter the final, where the lone ticket to Paris is on the line.

Forcing OT vs Georgia wasn’t an option for Gilas, says Tim Cone

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Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone’ after the Philippines’ loss to Georgia in the Fiba OQT group phase. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone said he didn’t want to risk going overtime against Georgia to try and salvage a win even with the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) semifinal berth secured.

When Gilas trailed Georgia, 93-96, with 14 seconds remaining, Cone called a timeout and decided with his coaching staff not to force extra regulation. The Filipinos then milked the clock before Chris Newsome drew a foul from Giorgi Ochkhikidze with 2.8 ticks left.

Newsome made his first shot but missed the second with Goga Bitadze even attempting to score off the putback in a bizarre move. Georgia won over Gilas, 96-94, but didn’t qualify for the next round, failing to win by 19 points.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT semifinals 2024

“We couldn’t go into overtime. We had an opportunity to shoot a three at the end to try and get us into overtime and play,” Cone said after the loss. “We just felt we didn’t want to give them an opportunity to try to extend the lead in overtime.” 

Cone, however, took the blame for Bitadze’s final attempt to force overtime.

“He missed a dunk follow-up, that was a bad coaching decision on my part. I should’ve had Newsome hold the ball and not even shoot that second free throw and get a violation,” Cone said. “That would’ve been a smart move. I blanked out and did not think about it. We were lucky we didn’t go into overtime.”

READ: Tim Cone says Gilas star Justin Brownlee ‘should be in the NBA’

Despite losing and finishing Group A with a 1-1 record, Cone is grateful to make it to the semifinal against Brazil on Saturday, inching two wins closer to the Paris Olympics.

“It’s the first time I felt good about losing and I just want to compliment our guys… they went down 20 and it could have been an easy panic time and they worked their way back into the game,” said Cone lauding his wards’ comeback from a sluggish first half.

“One little streak here or there, we could’ve been down by 30 and we’re going home, using those [flight] tickets we have for tomorrow. But they really showed their resilience.”



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Gilas win over Latvia puts spotlight on Tim Cone triangle offense

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Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone during a Fiba OQT Riga game against world No. 6 Latvia. –FIBA BASKETBALL

MANILA, Philippines — In an era where the three-point has become one of the major weapons in basketball, Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone continues to prove that triangle offense can still work even on the world stage, which is now dominated by fast-paced plays.

Cone’s signature offensive scheme worked wonders to stun World No.6 and host Latvia, 89-80, to open Gilas’ Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) campaign with high hopes on early Thursday morning (Manila time) in Riga. 

Some may call the triangle offense outdated in today’s era of basketball reliant on sprawlball — a term coined by NBA analyst Kirk Goldsberry for the current dominance of the three-point shot — the 66-year-old Cone said he will live and die with the system innovated by Tex Winter and popularized by NBA multi-titled coach Phil Jackson with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

“I guess I’m still a dinosaur at heart playing the triangle. I’ve been playing the triangle for 30-plus years I was mentored by Tex Winter. I just enjoyed living on his legacy and keeping it going. It’s an offense I believe in,” said Cone in the postgame press conference of the country’s first win against a European team since beating Spain in the 1960 Rome Olympics.

Even the longtime PBA coach admitted that at some point in his career, he doubted the system that helped him win multiple titles with the Alaska Aces, San Mig Coffee (Magnolia franchise), and Barangay Ginebra. 

“There’s a lot of critics especially when it went to the New York Knicks, people started doubting it. And even I left it for a couple of years because I was like everybody must be right, if everybody’s saying it’s a bad offense, they must be right. But I did as much as I could for two years without it,” said Cone. “And then I went back to it. It’s been my best friend ever since.”

Living and dying by the triangle

Gilas Pilipinas Latvia Georgia Philippines Fiba OQT Riga Schedule live updates

Gilas Pilipinas ahead of its game against Latvia in the Fiba OQT in Riga. –FIBA BASKETBALL

Missing a couple of key players ahead of the OQT, the 25-time PBA champion coach stood firm in applying his bread-and-butter in their quest to chase a ticket for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

“When I came into camp with my players, I told them this is what I know best, this is what I can teach best and so we’re gonna live and die with this,” Cone said. “People aren’t as familiar with it now since when Chicago and LA were, 10 years ago,” he said. “I’m enjoying running it and I’ve always enjoyed running it and I’m just proud that we’re able to do something with it.”

READ: Tim Cone says Gilas win over Latvia ‘means a lot to fans back home’

The triangle works for Cone in a way that makes his defensive system easier with Gilas limiting Latvia to a 27-of-72 shooting clip and its NBA player Davis Bertans scoring just 10 points on a 2-of-8 shooting clip.

“It’s an offense, if I may say, that plays at a tempo in which you can play defense and that’s why I love it so much and I’m kind of famous for the triangle. But I really feel like I’m more of a defensive-oriented coach and that offense just helps me run the defense,” Cone said.

Latvia coach Luca Banchi believes that Cone’s triangle offense wasn’t just the key to the Filipinos’ triumph but also their height and defense. 

“They have an efficient offensive system. It’s not simple. Let’s say not only in Europe but in general, it’s not common to have teams who run such a T system,” said Banchi, who steered Latvia to a fifth-place finish in last year’s Fiba World Cup in Manila.

“It takes time. I know that the coach has a long time coaching and, let’s say, sharing these basketball ideas around the country. That affects the players’ style and that allowed the team to have a very clear identity on the court but I believe that also defensively, this is a team that you have to attack with better poise and focus, which we didn’t do tonight.”

Gilas continues its chase for an Olympic berth against Georgia on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. (Manila time). 

Cone’s triangle has been immortalized in the PBA as one of the most successful systems in league history and even in Philippine basketball after it delivered the team’s first Asian Games gold since 1962 in the 19th edition in China last year.



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Will it end the country’s 52-year appearance drought in Olympic basketball?

Tim Cone dismisses notion that Gilas not big, fast, strong enough

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There will be plenty of questions and realities that Gilas Pilipinas will tackle in the few days left leading up to the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

There will be plenty of questions and realities that Gilas Pilipinas will tackle in the few days left leading up to the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.

Fortunately, the squad’s mental fortitude and size won’t be among those things.

Despite an 11-man crew and a lowly No. 37 ranking, national coach Tim Cone has been steadfast in his belief that the Filipinos are not going to be outmatched in Riga, where one of the four OQTs for the remaining berths in the Paris Summer Olympics will be contested.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

“They see the potential in themselves,” he previously told the Inquirer. “We are not going to be overwhelmed by anybody.

“It has always been a size factor—that we’re not big enough, we’re not fast enough, we’re not strong enough to play on the international [stage],” he added. “But we are.”

Cone’s optimism stems from the squad’s composition, which boasts length and athleticism aside from smarts and versatility.

This edition of Gilas Pilipinas is easily one of the biggest ever assembled, with 6-foot-4 Dwight Ramos serving as a point guard, youngsters Carl Tamayo (6-8) and Mason Amos (6-7) taking turns at the wings, and 6-10 June Mar Fajardo and 7-3 beanpole Kai Sotto patrolling the middle.

READ: Tim Cone ‘not satisfied’ until Gilas Pilipinas reaches optimal OQT form

“They’re gonna be more physical than us, maybe, but they’re not gonna outsize us. And I think that always gives us a possibility [of winning],” he said of the field in Riga that is littered with higher-ranked foes.

The Philippines is set to battle world No. 6 Latvia and 23rd-ranked Georgia in a 20-hour span in Group A of the short meet that will send one winner to the glitzy French capital later this month.

Both early opponents will be backstopped by NBA-caliber talent. Davis Bertans of the Charlotte Hornets is set to reprise his role for the hosts, while Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs and Goga Bitadze form a ferocious frontline for the Crusaders.

Pulling through that tough stretch would send Gilas to the knockout stage where the Nationals could go up against Brazil, Montenegro, or Cameroon.

“For us, I think, to have any success in this thing is to get to the crossover,” Cone said in a separate interview. “We’ve got to go out and beat either Latvia or Georgia to really feel we’ve had success—and then we’ll see where we go from there.

“If we can beat one of those two teams, that means we can compete in the crossover, [and] you never know from there. And that’s going to be our kind feeling—just go there, and I keep saying, it’s not impossible,” he added.



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“If we can bring our best version of ourselves, we can beat anybody. Whether we can do that or not is the big question.”

Tim Cone ‘not satisfied’ until Gilas Pilipinas reaches optimal OQT form

On: By: admin


Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee during a game against Chinese Taipei in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Gilas Pilipinas’ schedule the past week has been nothing short of frantic, traveling across the Middle East, Europe, and then deep into the Baltics—taking narrow tuneup losses flush on the chin in between.

And yet, the Nationals went straight to practice right after they arrived in Latvia on Sunday (early Monday morning in Manila), putting aside exhaustion and a 10-hour road trip as it continued to prime and plot for the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga.

“This is not supposed to be a fun trip. It’s supposed to be the hardest thing that we will ever do in our basketball lives,” national coach Tim Cone told the Inquirer. “It’s been hectic for us.”

“Hopefully, now that we’re here in Riga, things will normalize for us in the next couple of days and we can catch our breath and focus on the tournament,” he added.

The Filipinos will have at least about three full days to acclimatize in the Latvian capital. By then, the 11-man crew led by Justin Brownlee, June Mar Fajardo and Dwight Ramos will be going through the proverbial eye of the needle once more on July 4.

Gilas Pilipinas will battle host and World No. 6 Latvia and, after just 20 hours, will return to action against No. 23-ranked Georgia in the group phase of one of the four OQTs that will complete the field in the Summer Olympic Games in Paris set later this month.

Punishing schedule

The schedule may seem punishing on paper, but Cone and his charges can draw much from their last seven grueling days, where they traveled to Turkiye and Poland for its test games.

Using that experience, Gilas can also manufacture optimism for the tall tasks against the Latvians and Georgians who will be fielding NBA players in the short meet.

The Philippines, despite having only 11 players, went 1-2 in their test games, winning against club team Taiwan Mustangs (74-64) at home, and then fading late against World No. 24 Turkiye in Istanbul (84-73) and No. 15 Poland in Sosnowiec (82-80).

“I’ve been pleased with our progress in the games. We’re proving to ourselves that we can play with these guys,” Cone said of the Europeans.

“But we can’t be satisfied with ‘getting close,’” he added. “We need to get over the hump and that means more attention to detail.”

Long a student of the game, Cone knows that Gilas can still unlock another dimension of its game just before the OQT tips off.



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“The guys are pushing and I love it. But we still need more.” INQ

Sean Chambers ‘perfect’ as Gilas assistant, says Tim Cone

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Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone adds Sean Chambers (third from the left) to his coaching staff. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—There’s another connection brewing inside Gilas Pilipinas’ camp en route to the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia.

Coach Tim Cone has added another long-time colleague to his coaching staff in the form of Sean Chambers.

Chambers and Cone had an Alaska connection built way back from 1989 to 2001 with the former as an import and the latter as the head tactician.

So when Gilas found themselves shorthanded in the staff department with LA Tenorio being busy due to Ginebra duties, Cone had no hesitations in bringing in Chambers.

READ: Gilas coach Tim Cone praises ‘ageless’ Alex Cabagnot

“Sean came at the last minute. He stepped in. He played with me for 13 years, he knows me personally as well as anybody I’ve ever met,” said Cone after Gilas’ 74-64 win over the Taiwan Mustangs at Philsports Arena on Monday.

Cone also revealed that it took some “begging” from him to the Far Eastern University, which has installed Chambers as the Tamaraws’ head coach for the upcoming UAAP season.

“We begged him and we begged FEU. Thank goodness, he said yes and FEU said yes,” explained the Ginebra mentor.

During their time together in the early 90s, the tandem of Cone and Chambers went on to win six PBA titles including a Grand Slam in the 1996 PBA season.

READ: Gilas coach Tim Cone says Scottie Thompson presence ‘irreplaceable’

It was also under Cone’s tutelage that Chambers won the Best Import award during the 1996 Governors’ Cup and the “Mr. 100%” Award in the 1991 season with the now-defunct Milkmen.

Now with the tandem on full display in the Gilas’ coaching staff, Cone is satisfied to have one of his former players calling the shots who knows how to play his own system.



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“He knows our system, he knows the Triangle, so he’s just the perfect guy. If you have been around him, he’s one of the most valuable people around you,” Cone said.

Gilas coach Tim Cone praises ‘ageless’ Alex Cabagnot

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FAMILIAR FACES. (From L-R) Taiwan Mustangs coach Chris Gavina, Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone, Taiwan guard Alex Cabagnot and Gilas assistant Richard del Rosario catchup during Gilas’ exhibition game against the Taiwan Mustangs at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone felt the nostalgia in the air at Philsports Arena on Monday.

Cone had a chance to catch up with some familiar faces when Gilas faced the Taiwan Mustangs in an exhibition game. One of those names was former PBA star Alex Cabagnot, who now plays for the Mustangs after starring in nine championship runs with San Miguel Beer.

“Alex is ageless,” said Cone of the 41-year-old veteran after Gilas beat Taiwan, 74-64.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas beats Taiwan Mustangs in tune-up before OQT

“He’s absolutely ageless. He can step into a team right now and still contribute any way he wants to at this point.”

Cone, the most decorated coach in the PBA with 25 championships, has had countless battles with Cabagnot ever since the heady guard entered the league as the second overall pick by defunct Sta. Lucia in the 2005 PBA Draft.

Alex Cabagnot Tim Cone Gilas Taiwan Mustangs

Taiwan Mustangs guard Alex Cabagnot watches the ball during a tune-up game against Gilas Pilipinas as coach Tim Cone looks on at Philsports Arena in Pasig.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

On Monday, Cone was reminded of just how difficult it was to slow down Cabagnot.

READ: Gilas coach Tim Cone says Scottie Thompson presence ‘irreplaceable’

Cabagnot finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists for Taiwan.

“He’s been an awesome player after all these years. He’s just really tough to defend, a lefty and crafty. He’s tough,” said Cone.

Cone and Gilas now head to Latvia for the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where the Filipinos shoot for a spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics.



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