MANILA, Philippines — If there’s a silver lining in Gilas Pilipinas heartbreaking 66-69 defeat to New Zealand, one has to be the solid debut of Juan Gomez De Liano in the Tim Cone-coached national side last Thursday.
The multi-talented Converge rookie contributed 10 points, a rebound and two assists in a Gilas uniform as he managed to overcome the jitters of his return to playing for the national team since he last saw action more than three years ago.
“He was one of the best, if not the best, players in our whole practice camp. So we’re not surprised what came out,” said Cone during the post-game press conference at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Known for his burst of speed to the basket off the dribble, Gomez De Liano wowed the crowd during one play in the first half when he got away from a New Zealand defender and score via an up-and-under finish to the basket.
Cone is happy to see the second overall pick in the 2025 PBA Draft, play well, but he expects him to do even better as he gets a better grasp of the team’s system.
“Remember, this is his first game in front a big crowd (with a) lot of pressure. He’s going to get comfortable, and he's going to do a lot more,” Cone said.
“He did a lot, but he’s going to do a lot more going forward. He’s a special talent.” Before becoming part of the Gilas pool last November just before Gilas’ window 1 collision with Guam in an away and come game, the former University of the Philippines standout last played for the Philippine team during the 2023 FIBA World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers.