Cone believes Juan GDL will be a Gilas Pilipinas mainstay: ‘He’s a special talent’

Juan Gomez de Liaño made an immediate impact for Gilas Pilipinas in his first game with the current pool.

The national team returnee scored 10 points, along with two assists and one rebound, in a 69-66 loss to New Zealand in the second window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

For Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone, Gomez de Liaño is poised to become a mainstay for the squad.

“He was playing, maybe one of our best, if not the best player in our whole practice camp that we had in preparation, and so we're not surprised by what he came out and did,” Cone said.

Cone added that Gomez de Liaño will only grow more comfortable in his role as he gains more experience with the team.

“You know, he’s going to be a mainstay on this team. Remember, this was his first game in front of a big crowd, with a lot of pressure,” Cone said. “He’s going to get comfortable, and he’s going to do a lot more than he did today. And he did a lot today — but he’s going to do even more moving forward.

“He’s a special talent.”

This is not Gomez de Liaño’s first stint with Gilas Pilipinas. In 2021, he suited up in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. He also saw action in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers three years ago.

Gilas Pilipinas will face Australia next on Sunday.

—GMA Integrated News