Tim Cone admitted the coaching staff is still trying to find the right combinations and accepted responsibility for Gilas Pilipinas’ two blowout losses in tuneup games in Korea.
Still, Cone remains confident Gilas Pilipinas will be ready for its opening game against Bahrain on Friday at the Aichi International Arena in Nagoya, Japan.
‘We have not figured out how to best use the skills of our guys yet. But me and our staff will be better, and we will be better in helping our players prepare for what is ahead. No need to panic. We will be more ready,’ Cone said after a 42-69 loss to the Koreans at the KT Sonicboom Arena in Suwon, South Korea. They dropped their first tuneup, 55-81.
Zav Lucero came up with 14 points and six rebounds, with no other player among the 11-man team scoring in double figures.
‘South Korea was a tough team, the same team that has played the four FIBA windows. We could not approach their level of execution and knowledge of each other,’ Cone told the BusinessMirror on Sunday.
‘These losses were not on the players,
and it was on us as a coaching staff.’
The team leaves Suwan for Nagoya continue their preparations for their title-defense.
The Philippines takes on Kazakhstan on Saturday and closes out the preliminary round against China on September 14.
Cone said the tough tuneup week gave the Philippines a gauge of where it stands, while tipping Korea as a title contender.
South Korea shot better from three-point range, beating the Filipinos, 9-5, in the first game and 10-3 in the second. The home team also had more assists, 23-12, and 23-13. ‘It could be the favorite for the gold, yes,’ he said.
The Philippine team is awaiting an update from Justin Brownlee, who is recovering from a leg injury, and whether he has been cleared to play.