The clamor for heads to roll, specifically that of Philippines head coach Chot Reyes, reached a fever pitch on Thursday evening.
After suffering an 87-68 defeat at the hands of FIBA Basketball World Cup debutant South Sudan, none of Gilas Pilipinas’ objectives were achieved.
The checklist included two wins to advance to the second round, a victory in the first round, or at the very least, a tough fight for an Olympics spot. None of these were accomplished, and Gilas is at risk of going winless in the competition as they head into the final day of the classification round.
With the 19th Asian Games fast approaching, some fans are calling for Tim Cone to step up to the plate, just as he did during the 30th Southeast Asian Games when he coached the national team.
However, Cone, the lead assistant of Reyes, is committed to following his head coach’s lead.
“If Coach Chot goes, I go.
“Some assistant coaches join a team with the hope of eventually becoming the head coach, but that’s not me. I’m here to serve at Coach Chot’s pleasure. I’m only here to support him because I believe in him,” Cone told One Sports.
Cone has been assigned the responsibility of overseeing Gilas’ defense in the ongoing global showcase hosted by the Philippines.
Despite the results, the most decorated PBA head coach still believes that his good friend is the right person for the job.
He stated, “I’ve been with this program for a year now, and I genuinely believe that he is still the best man for the job. I think the steps he has taken are correct, and we’ve never really been out of any game.
“You know it’s hard to win in the World Cup because you’re going up against great teams,” said Cone.
Moreover, Cone added that the criticism Reyes has been receiving, not only on social media but also at the venue, is unfair.
“I think the reaction to Chot has been unfair.
“If you have 12 coaches in a room, they will coach any game 12 different ways. In the Philippines, you have 110 million coaches, all with opinions. But as an assistant coach here, I’m the one who sees it up close, and I think he’s done a great job,” Cone concluded.
