Cone to make do with what he has amid Gilas’ lack of tuneup games

Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines–Coach Tim Cone admitted that he is bothered with the lack of practice games lined up for Gilas Pilipinas ahead of Southeast Asian Games here later this November.

But he added that its part of the challenge that comes with the task.

“Like I’ve said, I’m a stopgap,” he told reporters after the Nationals’ practices—only its fourth overall—at Meralco Gym last Monday.

“This was the challenge presented to us and [what we do] is the way we have to go about it,” he added. “We do it the best way we can.”

Cone, who took the coaching job late September, was commenting about Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand all plunging into their respective friendlies to prime up for the biennial meet from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

“Am I concerned about not playing a bunch of games? Yes, I am,” he said. “But I don’t have the opportunity [to address that].”

“Why worry about something I have no control over? The only control I have is over this practice and what I could do tonight,” he added. “And what I could do next Monday, and [perhaps] a Thursday down the line.”

Cone, who opted to go with a Ginebra core for ease in preparation, bared that his staff has also made moves as of late.

Jong Uichico, Cone’s deputy, is bound for Malaysia to scout the country’s national team, and Jimmy Alapag, also one of the assistants, has been tapped to arrange a tuneup game with Asean Basketball League’s Alab Pilipinas later in November.

For now, Cone said they have to put more value in team practices, just as he usually does in the PBA.

“If you noticed, at Ginebra, Purefoods, we don’t play a lot of practice games, Because we value [team] practice more than we value the [practice games],” he said. “We’re going to value the practices.”

The decorated mentor, for his part, is optimistic of Gilas’ chances despite the odds it is facing against.

“I think the best we can is going to be good enough,” he said. “I really do.”