Tim Cone wants Gilas to stay intact

NEWLY appointed Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone said he wants to keep the 12-man team intact to ensure the players develop into one cohesive unit as they play in various international tournaments.

“This team is going to stay together through every window,” Cone shared when asked to comment by members of the media after representing Gilas during Monday night’s Philippine Sportswriters Association awards at the Diamond Hotel.

“If we play Southeast Asian Games, we expect to play this team in the Southeast Asian Games. If we play Asian Games, World Cup qualifiers, FIBA Cup, FIBA Cup qualifiers, (we play this team),” he added.

The American mentor named Japan B.League Filipino imports Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, Dwight Ramos and Carl Tamayo in the team, along with La Salle star and UAAP Season 86 Most Valuable Player Kevin Quiambao.

Six PBA players were also included in the team led by seventime league Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez of San Miguel, Scottie Thompson and Jamie Malonzo of Barangay Ginebra, Meralco’s Chris Newsome and TNT gunner Calvin Oftana.

Justin Brownlee is the designated naturalized player, but pending FIBA’s decision regarding his eligibility in upcoming tournaments.

“As we are saying, we want to keep this team intact because every time we either grow from the success or failure that we have. It kinda looks like a PBA team or NBA team or B.League team, any kind of basketball team, you keep a team together as much as you can and you try to get them together and learn from the failures and successes,” said the 66-year-old mentor.

Tweaks within the team will happen should health or injury issues arise.

Despite the challenges of handling Gilas, Cone considers the national coaching job an honor.

“Obviously I’m incredibly honored to be the holder of this position,” said a beaming Cone, whose most recent coaching success was leading Gilas to the Asian Games gold medal in Hangzhou, China last year, marking the country’s first men’s basketball title since 1962.

“It’s such a sacred position to be the national team coach,” he said. “We’ve tried to develop a system in which we can satisfy all the stakeholders.”