MANILA, Philippines — Coach Tim Cone is upbeat as Gilas Pilipinas leaves for Wellington to start the first of its two friendly games as part of its preparations for the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers next week.
The American coach liked what he saw as Gilas players spent twice-a-day practice sessions, while building team chemistry with the new additions in Mike Phillips and Justine Baltazar.
“Everything has been really good here in our Brisbane camp. We've been doing two-day practices everyday and working on getting everyone comfortable in the system, including Mike and Balty,” Cone told The Manila Times.
“We're leaving for Wellington tomorrow and will play our first ‘friendly’ the next day. We're all looking forward to how we blend together,” he added.
While nothing serious going on the naturalized player Justin Brownlee, Cone plans to rest the 38-year-old four-time PBA Best Import when the Filipinos face the Manawatu Jets on Sunday in Wellington for a friendly game.
“We will most likely rest Justin Brownlee in our first friendly,” he said.
The 68-year-old Cone will use the friendly game as a chance to see Gilas play and react to FIBA rules since the team last played in the second window in February in a pair of home games against New Zealand and Australia.
The 6-8 Phillips will be seeing action at Gilas for the first time since being declared a local player by FIBA a few months ago.
The Filipino-American big man’s athleticism and youthful zeal are key qualities that could benefit Gilas, which won’t have Kai Sotto and Quentin Millora-Brown.
Baltazar, the 6-9 top PBA rookie pick two years ago, also has a lot of upside who could bring in rebounding and inside presence.
Gilas plays New Zealand on July 3 in Auckland, before facing Australia in Perth on July 6 in a pair of two road games.
