Tim Cone criticizes Gilas Pilipinas basketball program for systemic issues

The Philippine men’s national basketball team head coach Tim Cone has slammed the country’s basketball program, believing that systemic issues beyond scheduling and preparation persist and affect Gilas Pilipinas in their aim to become a top basketball nation.

Gilas’ 2025 FIBA Asia Cup campaign ended in the quarterfinals following an 84–60 defeat to Australia on Wednesday, August 13, at King Abdullah Sports City Arena.

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

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

In an appearance on Power and Play, Cone claimed that Gilas’ issues run deeper, especially amid criticism following early exits from international tournaments.

“The bottom line is we can’t personally change that. I can’t worry about what I can’t control. We are working under certain constraints in terms of time, preparation, and budget. I guess the problem is very large. It’s systemic,” Cone said.

Tim Cone after the L to AUS: “We put this team together for the long term in trying to get them to grow together and get better. If we’re just going to go ahead and change personnel, we’re back to 0 again. We’re going to use this & try to make some adjustments. The big missing… pic.twitter.com/GXuUi5nFN8

— Naveen Ganglani (@naveenganglani) August 13, 2025

The issue of scheduling and player availability remains significant, with the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) calendar running for 11 months each year, leaving Gilas players with very little time to prepare for international competitions.

The American tactician did not mince words when asked about possible changes to the national basketball program, stressing that he simply works with what he is given.

“Yes, of course. I would love to have more preparation time. But again, who is in control here? I’m just the coach. I have never been given the title of program director. I have never been given that power. My job is simply to work with what I’m given,” he added.

With the Asia Cup campaign concluded, Gilas Pilipinas now turns its attention to the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. The Philippines has been drawn into Group A alongside Australia, New Zealand, and Guam.

However, Cone faces a problem once again as his team will only have six days of preparation for the World Cup Qualifiers, with Japan-based players arriving only three days before the first game due to league restrictions.

“If we make wholesale changes and then we only have three days to prepare, how good are we going to be? We are just trying to do the best within the parameters we are given,” Cone concluded.

Cone and his team will have a few months to refine their system before the Asian Qualifiers resume in November, with the Philippines set to face Guam twice in the opening window.

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