TIM Cone believes Gilas Pilipinas’ next generation is in good hands, but he was quick to stress that the young stars emerging in the national team still need the guidance of the veterans who came before them.
Speaking on Bilyonaryo News Channel’s Scorecard, Cone was asked whether the rise of Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao and Juan Gomez de Liaño signals a new era for Gilas following the international retirement of Japeth Aguilar and June Mar Fajardo.
“I think that’s fair to say,” Cone said.
But the veteran coach warned against overlooking the importance of experienced players in building a national team.
“Veterans show the way,” Cone said. “They show the way in terms of how the game should be played, how you should treat your teammates.”
Cone explained that simply assembling a group of talented players is not enough to build a successful national team.
“Otherwise you bring a bunch of players together and it’s like an All-Star team,” he said. “And it doesn’t have an identity, doesn’t have a pathway or a vision of where they want to go.”
That is why Cone believes the ideal Gilas roster should continue to mix veteran leaders with young talent.
“It’s really important to always mix veterans with younger guys, because they are the role models and set the tone and show the way.”
And while Fajardo has declared that he is done with international basketball, Cone is not completely closing the door.
“I’m not ruling out June Mar. June Mar is ruling out himself, but I’m not ruling out June Mar,” Cone said.
The coach pointed out how unpredictable national team commitments can be, with injuries and personal obligations often changing the availability of players at the last minute.
Cone cited several examples, including Quiambao’s back surgery, Sotto’s year-long absence, AJ Edu missing time for a wedding, Bobby Ray Parks being unavailable after proposing to his girlfriend, and Mike Phillips attending his brother’s wedding.
“That’s why it’s important to have some depth in the lineup,” Cone said.
For Cone, having players such as Quiambao, Phillips, Edu, Sotto and potentially Fajardo available gives Gilas important insurance whenever unforeseen circumstances arise.
Even Aguilar, who had already announced his retirement twice, eventually returned to play under Cone.
“I made Japeth Aguilar retire twice and I made him come back and play,” Cone said. “And I can do that because I was his head coach.”
The bigger picture, however, remains encouraging for Gilas.
Cone said the young players are slowly reaching the point where they can become veterans themselves, having already experienced the pressure of international basketball.
“The young guys are coming up and they are getting to that point where they are starting to be the veterans because they’ve been through the wars now.”
“They’re gaining that experience every time out.”
For Cone, that combination of veteran leadership, young talent and roster depth could shape the next chapter of Gilas Pilipinas. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
