SEAG: Gilas coach Tim Cone sees Indonesia and Thailand as threats

 

By WAYLON GALVEZ

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone considers Indonesia and Thailand as the teams expected to give the Filipinos a good fight in the 30th Southeast Asian Games here.

Cone pointed to the improvement of the two teams over the years with better competitions in the region through the ASEAN Basketball League and with the two nations bringing in naturalized players for the biennial meet set November 30 to December 11.

“We know they have naturalized players,” said Cone.

Based on a scouting report Cone and his coaching staff received, Indonesia will parade Lester Prosper, a 6-foot-10 center who played for the Columbian Dyip in the last PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Prosper has been tabbed by Indonesia mentor Rajko Toroman – the Serbian coach who called the shots for the original Smart Gilas Pilipinas from 2009 to 2011 – to be the team’s naturalized player after plans to have Denzel Bowles (another former PBA import) did not materialize.

Thailand, for its part, hasn’t settled on anyone yet but Cone said he expects the Thais to bring in reinforcement for the biennial meet.

The national team, in an updated grouping, is now with Vietnam, Myanmar and Singapore in Group A, while Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia and Indonesia are in Group B.

Gilas plays Singapore on opening day December 4, takes a break the following day then tackles Vietnam on December 6 and Myanmar on December 7. The semifinal is December 10 and the gold medal game is December 11.

The top two teams from each group will clash in the crossover semifinals.

In the previous SEA Games in Kuala Lumpur in 2017, the Philippines defeated Singapore in the semifinals 68-60, and downed Indonesia in the championship game 94-55.

Thailand settled for the bronze medal with a 65-55 win against Singapore in the battle for third place.

Meanwhile, the once a week Monday practice session of the national team was called off by Cone. Though he did not mention the reason, a source said it was due to the tight scheduled of the PBA Governors’ Cup.

Several teams are either fighting for spots or jockeying for positions in the ongoing season-ending conference. The league has its final elimination play date Wednesday, before the daily quarterfinal playoffs begins Sunday.

The PBA takes a break for the SEA Games, and then resumes with the semifinal playoffs middle of December.

Source: Manila Bulletin