Tim Cone marvels at evolution of Gilas Pilipinas’ young players

MANILA, Philippines – As heartbreaking as Gilas Pilipinas’ loss to New Zealand is, it also highlighted the young players’ growth and their ability to shoulder more of the offensive load.

Kevin Quiambao, Juan Gomez de Liaño, and Carl Tamayo all turned in their best performances in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, albeit in a 106-102 double overtime defeat on Friday, July 3, making up for the struggles of naturalized star Justin Brownlee as they nearly lifted the Philippines past the Tall Blacks. 

“That’s how you evolve the team, right? You try to win with your veterans and you develop your young guys. Our young guys have been developing over the last year and a half, two years. Every time they come into a window, they’ve gotten better,” said Gilas head coach Tim Cone. 

A late replacement for injured guard Scottie Thompson, the 26-year-old Gomez de Liaño proved his worth with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in just 21 minutes of action, knocking down big shots that gave the Philippines a fighting chance. 

Quiambao, 25, also finished with 23 points to go with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal, while fellow 25-year-old Tamayo added 17 points and 4 rebounds after scoring just 12 points across the Philippines’ first four games combined.

“When we first got them on the team, they were like 21 years old. Now, they’re 24, 25. They have evolved along with the team. That was the vision from the very beginning when we put this team together, that they, at point, would be the main guys,” said Cone.

What surprised Cone most was the players’ rapid development, which came two years since he put together the core of the team. 

“They may be coming a little more quickly than we thought, but they are certainly stepping up and playing at a much higher level than they were when they were first on the team,” said Cone. 

“We’re real proud of those young guys for continuing to improve. They both play in Korea, KQ and Carl, so they get a lot of improvement there. Juan is becoming one of the premier point guards in our league. They have great futures ahead of them.” 

The Philippines’ remaining games may well hinge on the continued rise of Gilas’ youth movement as the team faces a tough road ahead in its bid to qualify for the World Cup to be hosted by Qatar in 2027.

With a 2-3 record in Group A, the Philippines hopes to pull off a giant upset against mighty and unbeaten Australia to close out the first round on Monday, July 6.

A loss to the Boomers will make the Filipinos’ qualification quest even more challenging as they leave themselves barely any room for mistakes in the second round, where they will cross over with Group C squads Iran, Jordan, and Syria. 

“They’re evolving as players and we’re evolving as a team. And that’s what you want in a basketball team. You don’t want to stand still and you want to keep moving forward. These young guys are developing and helping us move forward,” said Cone. – Rappler.com