TIM Cone, the interim coach of Gilas, is maintaining faith in the four replacements: Chris Ross, CJ Perez, Arvin Tolentino, and Kevin Alas.

The national team is set to depart for Hangzhou, China, where they will commence their pursuit of the gold medal in the 19th Asian Games.

The Philippine team wrapped up their practice on Saturday, September 23, at the Philsports Arena in Pasig, working to integrate Ross and his fellow PBA veterans into the system, despite their recent arrival just last Tuesday.

“We’re sticking with our current roster unless we receive different instructions,” Cone said after the team’s final practice in Manila. “If circumstances change, we’ll make decisions accordingly.”

Any future adjustments will largely hinge on the final decision of the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee concerning the eligibility of Calvin Abueva, Moala Tautuaa, Terrence Romeo, and Jason Perkins.

These players were not part of the original 60-man list or the subsequent 37-man list submitted before the deadline.

Ross, Perez, Tolentino, and Alas, together with Marcio Lassiter, who is filling in for the injured Roger Pogoy, participated in Gilas’ sole tune-up game against the Korean club Changwon LG Sakers last Friday.

Gilas held a lead of up to 13 points but saw it slip away in the third quarter. The team ultimately relied on timely baskets from naturalized player Justin Brownlee to secure an 86-81 victory against the Sakers at the Philsports Arena.

Cone acknowledged that the inclusion of Ross and the three other replacements could alter the team’s dynamics, as they lack the size of Abueva, Tautuaa, Perkins, and Romeo. Nonetheless, he remains hopeful that these changes will provide Gilas with a fresh perspective as they aim to perform well and, ideally, put an end to the country’s 61-year gold medal drought in the Asian Games.

It’s worth noting that Cone was the last coach to guide the Philippines to a podium finish, securing a bronze medal for the Philippine Centennial team in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games in Thailand.

In the 2018 edition held in Jakarta, Indonesia, the Philippine team, under coach Yeng Guiao’s leadership, finished in fifth place despite the last-minute addition of NBA star Jordan Clarkson and the core players from Rain or Shine.