Cone puts the Miami Heat brand of training to good use.
The Gilas Pilipinas program has had its share of challenges in years past. Any basketball fan knows that most notable of those difficulties is weaving through the schedules of leagues and teams in order to field a competitive roster.
It has always tested the creativity of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, so any source of stability within the men’s national basketball team would be welcome. It seems that they have found just that in their coaching staff bannered by head coach Chot Reyes, and assistants Tim Cone and Jong Uichico.
In the last six games of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, Gilas won four. SBP thinks the tacticians are a big part of that.
“‘Yung kombinasyon ni Chot, Tim, and Jong put together, ‘yan ang prutas,” SBP executive director Sonny Barrios told Noli Eala on Saturday in the show Power and Play.
Barrios explains that Tim Cone has brought in a new dynamic to the team. Not because he has 25 PBA championships, but because of the time he spent with NBA franchise Miami Heat.
The Heat is coached by Filipino-American Erik Spoelstra, with whom Cone has established a fruitful friendship.
“Napakaswerte natin na itong pagkakuha natin kay coach Tim, galing siya sa immersion ng training camp ng Miami Heat,” said Barrios.
“And he [Cone] was telling us, ‘I’m sure people think I already know everything, but I learned a lot immersing myself in Miami Heat. Thank God Erik is a good friend of mine.’”
For sure Cone will learn a lot, because Spo is not just any other coach. He recently cracked the NBA's top 20 in the list of all-time wins for head coaches. And oh, he also has two NBA championships under his belt.
Cone, unsurprisingly, was only excited to share what he learned—particularly on the defensive end.
“Hindi pa man siya binibigyan ng assignment ni Chot sa division of labor nila, agad-agad sinabi niya, ‘Depensa ako, ‘yan ang tututukan ko,’” Barrios recalls.
Cheers to friendships. But perhaps Filipino fans should also consider jumping ship and cheering for the Heat in the NBA.