The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) is keeping its faith in Gilas Pilipinas and its embattled coach, Tim Cone, despite a winless performance in the second window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena last week.
SBP president Ricky Vargas rallied behind the national squad, saying that there’s nothing to be ashamed of since it fought its heart out before suffering sorry losses to the taller, scrappier and more disciplined squads like New Zealand and Australia.
The Tall Blacks put clamps on naturalized player Justin Brownlee en route to a convincing 69-66 victory. Two nights later, the Boomers showed up with only 10 players from its “Team B” with a new coach, but they still displayed bigger hearts to pull off a 93-68 triumph.
Vargas noted that the two Oceania countries have something in common.
“Those two teams are probably the most physical teams in FIBA Asia right now — probably more physical than China, Korea and Japan combined,” Vargas said over dinner with select sportswriters on Monday.
“If you watch them play, they’re tough. Whenever they fall, they get up right away. It’s their pride to take on contacts and show everybody that they can handle it.”
Vargas said they will put their heads together to discuss what went wrong while evaluating Cone and his players’ performance. But so far, it seems Cone has done a good job, given the shortage of manpower and the limited time to prepare.
“Yes, I think they will be reviewing the players,” he said. “After every window, there should be an assessment. That’s part of the process.”
In his post-game statement, Cone admitted that there must be something wrong with the Triangle Offense — the system that made him the most successful coach in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Unlike the Kiwis and the Australians, who relied basically on hard work, instincts, and basketball IQ, the Filipinos looked lost and confused as they tried to run their offense to perfection.
Cone said he is looking to come up with some changes to make it easier for his players to comply.
“Like I said earlier, I think we’re going to have to look a little bit at our offense and maybe try to simplify things a little more,” the veteran American mentor said.
Vargas, however, said he is leaving everything to Cone.
“Tim is a creature of habit. That’s good because there’s stability. But, at the same time, it’s not very experimental,” said Vargas, referring to Cone, who still has a contract with the federation until 2027.
“This is a learning experience for him. Realizing that his system may need to be simplified is actually a good step forward.”
Vargas added that international basketball had already evolved, and talent alone can no longer win games, something they have to think of as they enter the crucial third window of the qualifiers.
“If we want to succeed again, we need that same level of thinking — about physicality, possessions, rules, and preparation — not just talent alone,” he said.