PBA champion and current Ginebra coach Tim Cone is a true advocate of the national team, sharing inputs and wisdom on how to improve the system of the country's basketball team.
But even putting country’s best interest into consideration, Cone still rues the decision of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to revert to original Gilas program which includes top amateur players committing long-term to the national team.
This in effect also pulls them out of the incoming PBA draft.
The Gin Kings are among the teams that stand to lose the most in the coming rookie draft in October, where they will have two first-round picks – both expected to be high selections considering the team’s unimpressive finishes in the pro league's first two conferences.
Cone regretted that they could lose the chance picking up top-tier talents like Kiefer Ravena, Mac Belo, and Kevin Ferrer.
“It’s been around a couple of years, but for us, it’s sayang that it happened when we have two first-round picks,” Cone admitted after practice on Thursday afternoon. “But that’s the way the cookie crumbles.”
“It’s the program for the country so hopefully it will benefit the country and we’re all willing to sacrifice for that,” he added.
With the absence of college standouts, less-heralded rookies and Fil-foreign players are expected to boost their draft stocks.
“We don’t even know who’s coming in anymore now that Gilas is supposedly going to take guys,” Cone said. “I assume there will be some Fil-Ams coming from the ABL, maybe they’ll get a shot. And there are always uncovered jewels you can find.”
Cone added, “It just makes the scouting a little bit harder, because you have to look a little harder than you normally would.”
However, the Grandslam coach reiterated that the draft pool will be shallower than expected.
“Maybe (there are) only one or two, maybe three good picks in the draft this year, so we’ll see, so we’ll do what we can with it, and we got a good team, fairly young, and we’re still developing,” he added. “So we aren’t desperate for young blood at the moment, so hopefully we get a couple of guys that can come and contribute.”
Source: SPIN
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