By REYNALD MAGALLON
Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone stressed that the national team will be ready in any eventuality that one of his 12 players would not be available for the third and final window of 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in February.
Cone was again asked about the possibilities of adding players to the pool after Gilas big man Kai Sotto went down with what appeared to be a knee injury in Koshigaya’s loss to Mikawa in the Japan B. League on Sunday, Jan. 5.
“Well, that’s why we have Japeth. Japeth is there to replace any of the bigs that we have. And if you can tell me there’s another big out there that matches Japeth’s size and ability, then I’ll be happy to look at him,” said Cone.
“He’s eligible and has experience. We also have Mason Amos to fortify us if we lose someone like Jamie (Malonzo), or if one of the other guards can’t play,” he added.
The extent of Sotto’s injury is still unclear and whether it would affect his availability for the February window remained to be seen.
Sotto’s knee appeared to have buckled while attempting a post move at the 6:20 mark of the opening frame. He was down for the count and had to be stretchered off the floor although it was an encouraging sign that he managed to return to the bench and watch the rest of the game.
With guys like former Batang Gilas standout Caelum Harris as well as University of the Philippines big man Quentin Millora-Brown expressing their interest playing for the national team, Cone was aware the clamor to add more players to the pool is growing.
But the veteran mentor said the program is sticking to its initial plans of keeping a lean but intact roster.
“I know there’s a real clamor for a bigger pool, but it’s just the way the windows are set up. The preparation time is so limited. You really have to make the most of that time. We can’t afford to try and teach 18, 19, or 20 players and get them into rhythm. We need to keep the roster tight so we can maximize our preparation,” Cone explained.
He also added that it’s not only Gilas which is using the same setup but also the rest of the world as they also try to juggle the time between the windows and their respective domestic leagues.
“If we had two or three months, we could consider expanding the pool, but with the way things are now, and if you talk to any national team coach nowadays, they’ll tell you it’s the same everywhere. We’re not the only ones doing it this way,” stressed Cone.
