Head coach Tim Cone sees the Chinese Taipei matchup as a key measure of how far Gilas Pilipinas can go in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
Up against a familiar foe, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone is fully aware of the challenge ahead.
“We know we’re up against a tough team, and this first game is absolutely crucial,” Cone said ahead of Gilas Pilipinas FIBA Asia Cup 2025 opener against Chinese Taipei.
The Philippines will take on Chinese Taipei to start the Asian Championships on Wednesday, with tip off at 2:00 a.m. (PH time).
While Chinese Taipei is 39 spots lower than the Philippines in FIBA rankings, their upstart team bring confidence to Jeddah and will look to repeat their victory over Gilas last February in the qualifiers.
[ALSO READ: Chinese Taipei stuns Gilas Pilipinas in Window 3 of FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers]
Ace shooter Chun Hsiang Lu will miss the rematch for Chinese Taipei, but they also now feature US NCAA Division I brothers Robert and Adam Hinton in this latest matchup.
“They even got more talented since we [last] saw them. They are really strong and we have to be more serious in our approach to them [Chinese Taipei],” Cone bared.
As tough as the start is, Cone believes that Gilas' performance against Chinese Taipei will serve as a critical barometer of how far the Philippines can go in the FIBA Asia Cup.
[ALSO READ: How Gilas Pilipinas have fared in the FIBA Asia Cup from 2011 to 2022]
“We feel that if we can get through them, it’s going to be a real feat and can hopefully propel us through the tournament,” Cone noted.
In the lead up to the Asian Championships, Gilas Pilipinas played two tune-up matches, beating the Macau Black Bears and Jordan.
[ALSO READ: Calvin Oftana sees action in Gilas Pilipinas' tuneup vs Jordan for FIBA Asia Cup preps]
While Gilas had an irregular preparation, Cone expects his players to rise to the occasion.
[ALSO READ: Tim Cone banks on early adjustment to boost Gilas Pilipinas in FIBA Asia Cup]
“It’s on the players now. We’ve done what we can as a staff, and now it’s on the players to go out there and just play their game,” he shared.
“We need to let them play within their flow and give them instructions when we can. That’s the key with a national team — you have to let the players play their own game, and hopefully, that’s what we’ve achieved a little bit,” Cone added.
Following their opener against Chinese Taipei, Gilas Pilipinas will play New Zealand on August 7 and finish their group preliminaries against Iraq two days later.
[ALSO READ: SCHEDULE, RESULTS | Gilas Pilipinas compete at 2025 FIBA Asia Cup]