Tim Cone believes fatigue will be Gilas Pilipinas’ biggest challenge as the national team ramps up preparations for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 this August in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The national team is currently in the thick of its buildup for the continental tournament, with several players coming off a taxing seven-game semifinal series in the PBA.
Meanwhile, the overseas-based standouts are working to regain form after months of inactivity due to the Japan B.League offseason.
Adding to the challenge, key players such as San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez, as well as TNT’s Calvin Oftana, have yet to fully join Gilas’ training camp as they remain focused on the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup Finals.
Kevin Quiambao is also unavailable, currently in the United States working out with NBA teams in hopes of earning a spot in the Summer League.
“I think the biggest issue we have right now is we got a lot of players who are just finishing a really, really long season,” said Cone during the launch of Gilas’ new adidas jersey last Thursday at Monarch Manila in Makati City.
“For our guys, they had a seven-game series and so they are really worn out. As you said, they’re nicked up and they have some injury concerns,” Cone added, referring to players like Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Japeth Aguilar, and RJ Abarrientos who are all nursing minor injuries.
(C) PBA Images
On a brighter note, AJ Edu and naturalized player Justin Brownlee have already arrived and joined the team, while Dwight Ramos and Carl Tamayo began practicing earlier this week.
Cone acknowledged the delicate balancing act of managing the physical load of fatigued players while pushing others to improve their conditioning in time for the tournament.
“We have those guys that are really worn out and tired, and then you have those guys like AJ, and Dwight, and Justin that need to get in shape. So we need to push those guys and yet rest the other guys,” said the winningest coach in PBA history.
“Then later on, add June Mar, CJ, and Calvin to the team really without practice so there’s really a lot of dynamics going on trying to get this team altogether,” he added.
To aid their preparations, Gilas is scheduled to play two tune-up games ahead of the Asia Cup. They will face the Macau Black Bears on July 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum before flying to Jeddah to take on Jordan on August 2.
Cone emphasized the importance of the exhibition match against the Black Bears, especially given the players’ current condition. The game provides a valuable opportunity to regain rhythm and connect with local fans before heading to Saudi Arabia.
“It’s kind of a… We want to play in front of the fans before we go. I think that’s important. The players to get that feeling from the fans, how important this all is to them,” said Cone.
“And we get a chance to showcase. We don’t get to see the Gilas team live very often, we’re always overseas playing. Once in a while we get home games, so I think it’s important to play at least one game against somebody so we can showcase to the public.”
#WATCH: Coach Tim Cone says Gilas Pilipinas Men’s biggest opponent isn’t just on the court — it’s fatigue 🇵🇭
🎥 @jonashdcd /Tiebreaker Times#LabanPilipinas #AsiaCup pic.twitter.com/un1up1qw2j
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) July 10, 2025
