GILAS Pilipinas coach Tim Cone said they're still finding their feet now that Kai Sotto is back and Justin Brownlee won't be around in the build-up to the fourth window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
The Nationals have played two tune-up games so far with contrasting results, winning against Korean pro team Ulsan Hyundai Phoebus, 81-76, and losing on Tuesday morning to the all-PBA Gilas side that's bound for the Asian Games.
Cone said the team is re-adapting to the presence of Sotto, who returns to the squad after two years, as well as adjusting to Brownlee's likely absence in the Gilas qualifiers against Jordan on Friday and Iran on Sunday.
Cone also said there is still enough time to make adjustments as Gilas looks to get back on track after a 2-4 win-loss campaign in the first round of the Asian qualifiers.
“We’re just trying to get as much experience and time together, especially because Kai is new to the team,” Cone said on Monday.
“We’re not as good as we want to be at this point. We need to be better, we feel, and that included the game against Korea, it included the game (against the Asian Games team).
“We are still trying to find the best version of ourselves. But we still got a few more days, and we’re still trying to lock in and get a feel of everybody,” Cone said.
Once Sotto and his teammates rediscover their chemistry, Cone said Gilas is capable of putting together competitive games against Jordan and Iran, both with 5-1 win-loss records entering the current FIBA window.
“He's come full force. He's brought all of his talent, all of his size, he's really been impactful,” Cone said. “We're kind of building around him. He's relatively, I don't want to say new to the team, but he hasn't been with us for a couple of years.
"So guys are still adjusting to his level of play. And we hope that that just continues over the next few days," Cone added. “But we think he's going to cause problems for both teams. And he's going to make everybody around him better. So he's just a great addition. We're just real happy to have him."
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