MANILA, Philippines – Head coach Tim Cone is not shy to admit that Gilas Pilipinas has yet to be fully ready with a week left before the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia.

But he hopes to get the team all set for a chance to earn a prized Paris Games berth as the Nationals go up against world-class teams Poland and Turkiye (Turkey) in a pair of friendly matches.

A 74-64 win over the Taiwan Mustangs in a tuneup game last Monday, June 24, still left much to be desired for Cone, so he aims to witness his players make huge strides ahead of their OQT battles against Latvia and Georgia.

“I hope to see improvement. I hope to see us get better on both sides of the ball,” said Cone.

Stiff competition awaits the Filipinos in the OQT, especially against a Latvian side that finished the previous FIBA World Cup at fifth place and currently ranks No. 6 in the world.

World No. 23 Georgia is no pushover either as it reached the last 16 of the World Cup and features a couple of NBA players in Goga Bitadze and Sandro Mamukelashvili.

That is why it is crucial for Gilas Pilipinas to test its mettle against world No. 15 Poland and No. 24 Turkiye.

Also looking to catch the last bus to the Olympics, Poland sees action in the OQT in Valencia where host Spain, Lebanon, Angola, Finland, and the Bahamas are also competing.

“Poland is No. 15 in the world so they’re going to give us a good feel, and Turkey is No. 24, but they’re much better if their NBA guys show up,” said Cone. “It should be a great indication by the time we get to Riga.”

Cone said the goal is not exactly to beat Poland and Turkiye but to get the team prepared for the OQT.

“We do not care if we win or we lose, or we’re not going to go out-scout them or worry about them. We just want to get our game right for Latvia and Georgia,” said Cone. – Rappler.com

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