TIM Cone is ready to play the cards dealt to Gilas Pilipinas in the coming FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
It's all the national men's team coach could do given the outcome of the recent tournament draw that saw the Philippines ending up in the same group as Asia-Ocenia champion teams Australia and New Zealand.
Completing the tough Group A cast is Guam, a team reinforced by San Miguel Beer guard Jericho Cruz.
"Whether it be Australia, Guam, whether it be Taiwan, Korea, it doesn't matter. It's whoever is in front of us. We'll take care of it," said Cone as he spoke about the draw result held Tuesday night in Doha, Qatar.
"I'm not making a big deal as much as everybody else is about the draw. I'd be saying exactly the same things if we were in the other side with Japan and China."
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The first of the six-window tournament is set to kick off this November.
Cone said he wasn't surprise the Philippines ended up bracketed with the seventh-ranked Boomers and the Tall Blacks, currently no. 22 in the world.
"I thought it might be that way. There was really a good chance, basically 50-50," he said.
The other brackets are composed of Japan, South Korea, China, and Taipei in Group B, Iran, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq in Group C, and Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, India, and host Qatar in Group D.
Only seven of the 16 teams will qualify to the FIBA World Cup in 2027, with Qatar already an outright qualifier as host country.(RG)
