JUAN GOMEZ DE LIAÑO comes in handy with his international play acumen for the men’s national team that faces Guam twice starting next week in the FIBA 2027 World Cup Asia Qualifiers.
‘He’s playing very, very well and his skills equate to the international level,’ said Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone on his latest addition to the pool that will be eventually cut to a final 12 for the away game in Guam on November 28 and the home match at the Ateneo Blue Eagle Gym on December 1.
‘His pick and roll is doing extremely well and read it very well,’ Cone said. ‘He’s a little more offensive oriented than Scottie [Thompson] and Chris Newsome, so he kind of brings a different dimension to the team.’
The 6-foot Converge guard out of University of the Philippines was injected into the pool, a surprise move by Cone who earlier had issues on the player making a waning seconds shot in a Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup game.
Cone, however, said that defense remains the priority for the team.
‘He’s really a good defender too, but he brings more in terms of scoring and shootings, and he is a tremendous passer.just really, really good offensive player and a very much willing defender,’ Cone added.
Gomez de Liaño and big man Quentin Milloria-Brown were at Gilas’s practices at the Ateneo The team got a visit on Thursday from Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’s newly-elected president and executive director Erika Dy with naturalization candidate Benny Boatwright.
‘We really appreciate them to come over and talk to the team,’ Cone said. ‘We need to get some continuity, have time to look at videos and be together more.’
The team plays Australia and New Zealand in February and March next year for the second window of the qualifiers.