Gilas is best performing team in FIBA, says Cone

MANILA – Former national team coach Tim Cone saw that Gilas Pilipinas has been faring well in this year’s FIBA Asia Championships, believing that it has even been the ‘best performing team’ this season.

“Gilas looks like the best right now… I’m watching all the teams, and I think the only team that’s going to battle them at this point is China,” Cone said in an interview with PBA.ph.

The PBA coach noted that China’s ‘hunger’ to finish at the top has driven the foreign country’s national team to fight for the lone slot in the 2016 Olympics. They also had the homecourt advantage.

“They’re very hungry, so China could be Gilas’ biggest obstacle over Iran just because of the hunger factor,” he said.

But still, Cone remained impressed with Gilas.

“They’ve been awesome… They’ve been well coached, and the guys really bought in. They’re playing with a real chip on their shoulder, playing like us against the world, and that’s really a great position to be in as a basketball team,” he said.

“That’s all been taught and worked on by Coach Tab [Baldwin] so you have to give him enormous credit for what they’ve been able to achieve so far,” he added.