MANILA, Philippines — Tim Cone hopes Gilas Pilipinas could get at least 10 days of practice time just before the national team’s much-awaited collision with New Zealand in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers on February 26 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
With the conclusion of the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup Finals just last Sunday, won by San Miguel Beer, Cone admitted they still don’t have enough number of players should he call an earlier practice time.
“We were hoping for Feb 11, but it looks to us as if we'll only have 4 or 5 players available for practice. So it seems like it will be closer to Feb 15 when guys start coming in from Japan, and later, Korea,” Cone told The Manila Times.
SMB star center June Mar Fajardo, who won record-setting awards of Best Player of the Conference and the Finals Most Valuable Player now named after cage legend Ramon Fernandez, along with CJ Perez and TNT shooter Calvin Oftana are all expected to take a weeklong respite following their grueling championship series.
The Beermen retained their All-Filipino crown via a 4-2 series win.
Cone said Gilas intends to alternate practicing at the San Miguel Corp. facility along C-5, as well as Upper Deck in Ortigas, Pasig.
Comebacking big man Kai Sotto heads the list of Filipinos serving as Asian imports in Japan and Korea, who are expected to make their descent in Manila by middle of next week, along with Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Kevin Quiambao and Quentin Millora-Brown.
The tandem of 7-foot-3 Sotto and Millora-Brown at frontline will be a thing to watch for Pinoy fans, since this would mark the first time they will be teaming up in a FIBA-sanctioned match if ever.
Sotto is coming off a torn ACL on his knee he suffered in January 2025.
The 7-foot-3 big Sotto’s absence was greatly felt as Gilas suffered a 91-84 shock loss to Taiwan in Taipei, followed by an 87-70 beating at the hands of New Zealand in a pair of away games in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in the February 2025 window.
The return of Sotto now adds a solid rim protector for Gilas, with can his impact greatly felt as evidenced by his 15.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.7 blocks in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
