MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas will field a faster and highly motivated squad as the Philippine men’s basketball team heads to Japan to defend its gold medal at the upcoming Asian Games.
The Philippines is expected to field at least 11 players, with the remaining spot reserved for Justin Brownlee should he become available. Brownlee’s participation remains subject to medical clearance as he continues to recover from injuries.
“It’s a different system. They’re not playing my system. They’re playing a different system, and it’s more up-tempo, push-the-ball [style] because they’re a little smaller,” head coach Tim Cone previously said of the Asian Games squad.
Cone said the team’s smaller lineup will allow it to maximize its speed and transition game.
Leading the system are RJ Abarrientos, Robert Bolick, Sedrick Barefield, Jerrick Ahanmisi and Adrian Nocum.
They will be joined by Brandon Bates, Zav Lucero, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Don Trollano. Justine Baltazar and Justin Arana will also continue their roles with the national team after recently playing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Despite being undermanned, Cone expressed confidence in the squad’s motivation and enthusiasm ahead of the international competition.
“I really like the way guys are playing. I love the chemistry. I love how motivated they are and how excited they all are to be on this basketball team,” Cone said during a press conference.
“They’re so excited, so you get that kind of motivation and you can do some things with that kind of team. So we’re looking forward to it,” he added.
Cone has previously coached two Asian Games editions, in 1998 and 2023, and believes the current squad also has the potential to make a strong impression.
Before traveling to Japan for the Asiad, Gilas Pilipinas will play tune-up games in South Korea.
The Philippines will open its Asian Games campaign against Bahrain on September 11, followed by Kazakhstan on September 12 and China on September 14.
