Tim Cone weighs roster tweaks, says Kai Sotto ‘a big missing piece’ 

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone acknowledged that changes to the national team roster could be on the horizon following their quarterfinal defeat to world No. 7 Australia in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup.

Cone, however, emphasized that the current squad was assembled with a long-term vision in mind, warning that major roster shake-ups could undo the chemistry and progress the program has built.

“We put this team together for the long term in trying to get them to grow together and get better,” said Cone after Gilas’ 84-60 loss to the defending champions on Wednesday night in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. “And if we’re going to just go ahead and change personnel, then we’re all back to zero again.”

The veteran mentor has largely kept the same core 12-man lineup since the start of the Asia Cup qualifiers last year. Apart from the injured Kai Sotto, the rotation remained intact from their opening game against Hong Kong in February 2024.

THE MISSION CONTINUES

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In the Asia Cup proper, Cone fielded naturalized player Justin Brownlee alongside Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo, June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Calvin Oftana, Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome, and Japeth Aguilar.

Following the loss, Cone admitted that Australia’s athleticism, length, and speed were simply on another level. Still, he believes tweaks in both the system and lineup could help Gilas become more competitive against top-tier opponents.

“We’re going to use this and try to make some adjustments. Hopefully, we get,” he said.

The absence of 7-foot-3 Sotto was a significant blow to the campaign, with the Japan B.League big man still recovering from an ACL injury. “The big missing piece for us is Kai Sotto. Hopefully, we get Kai back, and that makes us a little bit more competitive,” Cone added.

Initially, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas had also listed Rhenz Abando, Zavier Lucero, Mason Amos, Sotto, and naturalized player Ange Kouame in the preliminary roster for the tournament.

While open to adjustments, Cone stressed the importance of a thorough review before making any changes. “At this point, it’s really too early to look and say that this is what we need at this point,” he said. “We got to really digest this, we got to look at videos, we got to see what’s going on, and go forward.” 

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