Yeng Guiao reflects on Gilas struggles, urges support for Tim Cone

Former Gilas Pilipinas mentor and current Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao is no stranger to tough coaching situations, having led the national team through difficult campaigns.

At the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, Guiao steered a Gilas squad that went winless in five games. Reflecting on the experience, he acknowledged the challenges of international basketball and stressed the importance of backing current head coach Tim Cone.

“Coach Tim has his own style and his track record of success is evident,” Guiao said on SEAG Live. “The triangle and playing a short rotation are two things he’s known for, it’s his brand. He proved what we can do by winning gold at the Asian Games. Let’s rally behind him and not be critical.”

Guiao pointed out that short preparation windows continue to be Gilas’ biggest obstacle in every FIBA competition. “It’s why coach Tim has a compact pool,” he noted. He also emphasized the need to adapt to modern trends.

 “Trending in the international game are shooting threes, playing with pace and space, scoring in transition. If your opponent plays fast, you have to play faster. It’s also about developing basketball IQ and we can do it if we continue to play together. The important thing is we keep playing teams like Australia and New Zealand to get better.”

Gilas Head Coach Yeng Guiao! pic.twitter.com/9Gza4ISZ7a

— Gilas Pilipinas (@smartgilasph) January 31, 2019

At the recent FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Guiao admitted mixed feelings over the results. “I wasn’t disappointed by the loss to the Boomers but was a little disappointed losing to Chinese-Taipei,” he said. “Australia and New Zealand shouldn’t be playing in our zone. 

“They have a natural advantage in genetics. They should be playing in some other zone, not in Asia. It’s tough enough to beat Japan, Korea, Iran, Jordan, Chinese-Taipei, China and Lebanon but we can beat them.”

Guiao also pointed to injuries and absences as key factors. “In Jeddah, the results would’ve been different with Kai Sotto,” he said. “It’s not only talent and coaching that make a difference but also luck. We were hit by injuries. Calvin (Oftana) and CJ (Perez) didn’t play in our last game. Justin (Brownlee) is our hero but he’s only human. Luck plays a big role, too.”

Guiao’s national team history stretches back to 2008, when he first replaced Chot Reyes as head coach. 

Tasked with forming a squad for the 2010 FIBA World Championship, he stepped aside after the team failed to qualify, with Rajko Toroman succeeding him. A decade later, he returned following the suspension of Reyes and several Gilas players after the infamous Philippines–Australia brawl. He led the team to World Cup qualification in 2019 but resigned shortly after their winless run.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.