MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone has shut the door on making player changes despite the team’s 84-60 loss to Australia in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday night in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Cone, who formed the current Gilas pool last year, said sticking with the same core is vital for building chemistry and avoiding the constant reset caused by frequent roster moves.
“We put this team together for the long term in trying to get them to grow together and get better,” Cone said after the game.
“If we’re just going to go ahead and change personnel, we’re back to 0 again. We’re going to use this and try to make some adjustments,” he added.
The veteran coach pointed to the absence of 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto, sidelined by an anterior cruciate ligament tear, as a major blow to their campaign.
“The big missing piece for us is Kai Sotto. Hopefully we get Kai and that makes us a little more competitive,” he added.
Against Australia, Gilas fell behind early and struggled to recover as the Boomers used their size and outside shooting to take control.
Despite the setback, Cone remains committed to patience and continuity, confident that a healthy roster anchored by Sotto’s return can eventually close the gap against Asia’s top teams./PN
