Cone going easy on returning Sotto

Reintegrating Kai Sotto into the Gilas Pilipinas system will be Tim Cone’s main concern should he join them in their preparation for the second window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on 26 February and 1 March at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Cone said he doesn’t want to push the 7-foot-3 big man to his limit just yet as he just recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear.

“Hopefully, getting Kai back and reintegrating him into the lineup will be our most pressing goal. I think it’s important to remember that Kai has just recently returned from injury and to playing after a year,” said Cone, who will open their 10-day training camp on Monday at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna.

“We want to make sure we get this right. Obviously, he is crucial to our success in the coming window, but his long-term health is also crucial to our overall program leading up to the World Cup and beyond.”

Cone said he wants the 23-year-old Koshigaya Alphas center healthy and game-ready as they brace tough battles against Australia on 26 February and New Zealand on 1 March.

In the FIBA website, however, Sotto’s name is not included in the “final roster,” sparking speculations that he will be sitting out the second window. Instead, Chris Newsome, RJ Abarrientos, Scottie Thompson, June Mar Fajardo, Cjay Perez, Dwight Ramos, Japeth Aguilar, Kevin Quiambao, Justin Brownlee, Carl Tamayo, AJ Edu and Quentin Millora-Brown compose the lineup.

“At this point, we will take what he can give us and play the long game with him. We don’t want to assume or preempt anything with him until we have had more conversations with him and his handlers,” said Cone, whose ward are tied with the Australians in Group A with an identical 2-0 win-loss record.

Having Sotto inside the paint would give Gilas a major confidence boost against the Boomers when they face off at the Mall of Asia Arena on 26 February.