As Gilas Pilipinas braces for a tough showdown with New Zealand on Thursday, coach Tim Cone is confident that the national squad can stand toe to toe with the 22nd ranked basketball squad in the world because of the presence of veteran big man June Mar Fajardo.
The 6-foot-10 Fajardo missed the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers last February due to a calf strain, though his absence was hardly felt after Gilas Pilipinas, ranked 34th in the world, bludgeoned Hong Kong, 94-64, before annihilating Taiwan, 106-53, at the Mall of Asia Arena.The eight-time PBA Most Valuable Player has since recovered and has in fact, made a strong impression during the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament last July in Riga, Latvia.
'You see the way he affects the game with San Miguel? The difference is when he plays and he doesn't play? It's the same with Gilas,' Cone said in describing the gentle giant from Cebu. 'He affects the game when he doesn't play, so he's going to give us our inside presence.'The 66-year-old Gilas Pilipinas head coach also talked about the good team chemistry Fajardo and young big man Kai Sotto has developed in the brief time the two players have played.
Will Be Big Factor Vs New Zealand —Cone
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