JUSTIN Brownlee is not buying the noise around Tim Cone.
As criticism mounted following Gilas Pilipinas’ back-to-back losses to New Zealand and Australia in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, Brownlee quickly came to the defense of his decade-long coach, particularly over renewed debate surrounding the latter's signature triangle offense.
READ COLUMN: Cone, now more than ever, needs to boot the 'triangle'
Much of the public clamor has centered on whether Cone’s system is outdated for modern international basketball, where pace, spacing, and quick-trigger perimeter shooting dominate.
Brownlee acknowledged that the triangle is not the easiest system to implement, especially in a national team environment where players only convene during short windows.
“The triangle is a little difficult to learn, but I think once you learn it, it can definitely benefit your offense, as far as getting you easy shots,” Brownlee told SPIN.ph.
The pros of the triangle are well-documented, as it promotes spacing, fluid movement, and inside-out efficiency. It reduces predictability when properly executed and can create high-percentage looks without relying solely on isolation or ball screens.
In Cone’s hands, it has produced championships in the PBA for decades - 25 to be exact.
But the cons are equally real in a Gilas context, as the system requires deep familiarity, chemistry, and repetition. It is also read-and-react-heavy, making it difficult to master without long training periods.
As such, Brownlee emphasized that system adjustments are not as simple as flipping a switch.
“It’s kind of difficult maybe going from one offense and going to another offense to be fluent in it. But you also got to credit the other team that we played. You know, they're really tough," he said.
Rather than framing the losses as tactical failures, Brownlee sees them as part of the ever-continuous growth curve.
“We got a lot of learning experience from those two games. Of course, we didn't get to win and things didn't go our way. But I think the experiences we got from the window is gonna be very helpful to carry it over into the next games with Australia, the next window," he said.
“And even after that, we take those over to the next teams we’ll face.”
Can't doubt Cone
For Brownlee, questioning the system is one thing. Questioning Cone is another.
“Obviously, over the years I've been playing with coach Tim, he has done an incredible job coaching the triangle. And obviously, guys from Ginebra have put a lot of time in the triangle," he said.
“At the end of the day, coach Tim is a very brilliant coach. He's been coaching the triangle for years. It ain't no secret why he's the best coach in the Philippines. You know, he's got the championships, he's got the accolades and everything to back it up.”
With the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup set to open later this month, Brownlee has already rejoined Ginebra training and will resume full practice shortly under Cone once again.
“I didn't start practice yet, but I did go up to practice today. I just met with the team for a little bit, watched practice for a little bit, and then I'll be back at practice tomorrow,” he said.
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