Fernandez sees SEAG gold

He can easily do it with an all-pro squad and even with a mix of collegiate stars.

Basketball great Ramon Fernandez is confident that the national men’s basketball team would extend its dominance when the country hosts the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games this November.

Fernandez said he admires Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone and he knows that he can lead the squad to its 18th men’s basketball crown.

Fernandez, an incumbent Philippine Sports commissioner, knows what he’s talking about.

After all, the is a four-time Most Valuable Player in the Philippine Basketball Association and a member of the national squad that won the silver medal in the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing.

“He (Cone) knows what it takes to win the Southeast Asian Games gold medal,” said Fernandez of Cone, who was the young American coach of Alaska Milk during his playing days.

“He can easily do it with an all-pro squad and even with a mix of collegiate stars.”

Prioritizing chemistry over star power, he tapped his Ginebra players like Japeth Aguilar, Greg Slaughter, Scottie Thompson, LA Tenorio, Art de la Cruz and Stanley Pringle to compose the core of the 15-man pool with June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, Christian Standhardinger, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Jayson Castro, Vic Manuel and Matthew Wright providing reinforcement.

“We don’t want to lose this one. This is our home court. This is not the best talent, but we are trying to be the best team that we can,” said Cone, the winningest Philippine Basketball Association coach with 21 titles highlighted by grand slam crowns in 1996 and 2013.

“We decided to go with a veteran group, again because generally veterans are easier to coach short-term. They pick up things faster than the young guys. This is all about speed and efficiency that we’re trying to do.”