Tim Cone defends use of “triangle system” after Gilas’ 2025 FIBA Asia Cup exit

The Philippine men’s national basketball team’s 2025 FIBA Asia Cup campaign ended in the quarterfinals following an 84–60 defeat to Australia on Wednesday, August 13, at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena.

Gilas Pilipinas struggled offensively throughout the match, shooting a poor 31% from the field, including just 8-of-33 from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Australian squad dominated the boards, outrebounding the Philippines 57–36, showcasing their size and physicality on both ends of the court.

The loss marked the third consecutive FIBA Asia Cup edition in which the Philippines failed to advance to the semifinals, following early exits in 2017 and 2022. This is a sharp contrast to the team’s back-to-back silver medal finishes in 2013 in Manila and 2015 in Changsha, China.

Following the defeat, criticism has surfaced over the tactical approach employed by Gilas head coach Tim Cone, particularly his continued use of the “triangle offense” — a system he has relied on for most of his coaching career in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Critics argue that the system is outdated and less effective against high-level international competition.

In response, Cone defended his strategy during an appearance on the sports program Power and Play.

“I know people are complaining and upset about our triangle system. I read social media — and I do that on purpose. I don’t like to do it, but I do it because I want to hear what the people are saying,” Cone said.

FACING THE MUSIC 🎵💔

Coach Tim Cone honestly reflects on Gilas Pilipinas’ early 2025 FIBA Asia Cup exit, admitting their performance did not meet the team’s vision and that facing the public was the most difficult part.#GilasPilipinas #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/onSiXSZOO0

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) August 16, 2025

“This triangle offense is what I do best, what I have done throughout my career, so teaching something that I don’t know doesn’t really make a lot of sense to me,” he added.

Cone emphasized that the triangle offense was never questioned when Gilas pulled off significant victories against teams like Latvia and New Zealand, as well as during their gold medal run at the Asian Games.

“When we were beating Latvia and New Zealand and when we won the Asian Games, nobody was saying anything about the triangle. Now, people are beating up the triangle again. Give the guys some credit. They beat Latvia in Riga, they beat China in China, they beat Saudi Arabia in Saudi Arabia — that’s not easy to do. Even New Zealand tried to beat us, but they couldn’t beat us at home,” Cone said.

The coach also pointed out the tough competition Gilas faced in their group, having to play both Oceania powerhouses — New Zealand and Australia.

“I think we are the only team to play the two Oceania teams. Maybe other teams had a chance to play them once, but we had to play both of them. It’s tough to get past those two, but we knew this heading into the tournament. We talked about it from the first moment we met,” he added.

With the Asia Cup campaign concluded, Gilas Pilipinas now turns its attention to the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. The Philippines has been drawn into Group A alongside Australia, New Zealand, and Guam.

Coach Cone and his team will have a few months to refine their system before action resumes in November, when the Asian Qualifiers begin. The Philippines is set to face Guam twice in the opening window.

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