There was this feeling of uneasiness with Gilas Pilipinas’ 2025 FIBA Asia Cup campaign. The Philippines continued to take a Team USA approach in hastily assembling a team and hoping the wins come in bunches. 

There have been moments it worked, such as the 2022 Asian Games and most of our SEA Games campaigns, but more often than not, all the cramming leads to a couple of wins and a ton of what-ifs. History has shown it’s not an effective approach, but Gilas continues to go with it given their current circumstances. 

And it may have come to a head in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup. 

There were signs that the campaign would be shaky from the start, as Gilas Pilipinas’ opponents had stellar shooting performances that were pretty much unstoppable. The Chinese Taipei game should have been a premonition, and the contest against New Zealand was as damaging. Even Saudi Arabia had hot shooting that nearly rendered the Philippines winless until Justin Brownlee and Kevin Quiambao willed Gilas to an overtime victory. 

Winning against Australia in the quarterfinals was always a longshot, but the loss was still painful nonetheless. 

The perennial porous perimeter defense reared its ugly head again and it clearly set the tone for the game. Gilas Pilipinas never led in the game and despite Kevin Quiambao’s best game as a member of the national team, it felt like it was over before it even started. 

To be fair, the Philippines was facing the reigning back-to-back champs in Australia, but the stark contrast in their trajectories is no surprise given how they’ve managed their respective rosters. The Boomers entered the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup with an average age of 24, while the Gilas’ roster tilted towards 30. Moreover, four Australians have NBA experience, while only Justin Brownlee spent some time in the G-League back when it was still known as the D-League.  

Other national teams have utilized their youth programs, while Gilas Pilipinas has relied mostly on PBA veterans who more often than not play deep into the league’s postseason. This is why the initiative to really tap into the grassroots program both in the Philippines and abroad, led by Gilas SEA Games head coach Norman Black, will be critical in the coming years. 

Gilas Pilipinas needs a steady pipeline of players to combat injuries and build roster depth. It was obvious that Kai Sotto’s injury left a glaring hole in the paint and with June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar in their late 30s, we will need a new set of big men. It’s time we have available players who can answer the call, and not just those who dilly-dally because of passport issues. 

The 2025 FIBA Asia Cup will definitely leave a bitter taste for head coach Tim Cone, and any idea of replacing him would be a bad one. The Philippines cannot afford to remove Cone or any coach for that matter and replace him with Chot Reyes another hoping that things will change immediately. There may be a honeymoon phase where the new coach wins immediately, but when opponents learn his nuances and adjust, you’d be hard pressed to think things will go on smoothly.

The issue with their perimeter defense lies in part with the personnel, but more importantly comes with more preparation. Gilas needs more time to not just understand the nuances of Cone’s system, but also have more opportunities to play together, whether that’s through intrasquad scrimmages or tuneup games.  

That may require more coordination with leagues such as the PBA and even the UAAP and NCAA, if their players allow. After all, we’re all stakeholders with Gilas Pilipinas and if they won’t be able to adjust (like the other leagues do), then we can just expect the same results.