Gilas Pilipinas aims to defend Asian Games gold with quicker, more motivated team

A quicker and more motivated Gilas Pilipinas team will head to Japan as the Philippine men’s basketball team looks to defend its gold medal in the upcoming Asian Games.

The Philippines will field at least 11 players, with a spot left open for Justin Brownlee in case he becomes available to join the team pending clearance from his medical team as he continues to recover from injuries.

“It’s a different system. They’re not playing my system. They’re playing a different system and more of an up-tempo, push-the-ball [style] because they’re a little bit smaller,” Cone previously said about the Asian Games squad.

“They’re smaller, so they’re going to use their speed and quickness to get up and down the floor.”

Leading that system are the likes of RJ Abarrientos, Robert Bolick, Sedrick Barefield, Jerrick Ahanmisi, and Adrian Nocum.

Joining them are Brandon Bates, Zav Lucero, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, and Don Trollano, while Justine Baltazar and Justin Arana will continue their national team duties after playing in the recent FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

READ MORE | Gilas Pilipinas men's basketball lineup for the 2026 Asian Games

Despite being undermanned, Cone believes this squad is motivated and excited to showcase its talents on the international stage.

“I really like the way guys are playing. I love the chemistry. I love how motivated they are and how excited they all are to be on this basketball team,” Cone said in a press conference.

“They are super excited, so you get that kind of motivation going and you can do some stuff with that kind of team. So we’re looking forward to it.”

Cone has previously been part of two iterations of the Asian Games team, in 1998 and 2023, and the veteran tactician believes this squad is special as well.

“This team has come in with just so much enthusiasm. When you’re around a bunch of enthusiastic people, it makes you enthusiastic as well, so we all have a good feeling of what’s going on. And I know they’re going to come out and they’re going to play great basketball,” he said.

“Whether that equates to winning and beating other teams, we don’t know yet for sure, but I know they’re going to come out and play great.”

Before heading to Japan for the Asiad, the Philippines will play tuneup games in South Korea.

Gilas Pilipinas will open its campaign on September 11 against Bahrain, followed by Kazakhstan the next day and China on September 14.

—JKC, GMA News