FIBA: Juan GDL’s Gilas return a matter of when and not if, insists Cone

Gilas Pilipinas pool member Juan Gomez de Liaño. Photo from Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.MANILA — Juan Gomez de Liaño will have to wait a little longer before officially making his Gilas Pilipinas return.

The Converge FiberXers star, along with Troy Rosario and Jamie Malonzo, was among the final cuts as head coach Tim Cone announced his 12-man lineup for the first window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, which opens later this week.

“It was a really tough decision,” said Cone during the team’s send-off press conference on Monday in Pasig City after announcing their roster, one that was formed with an emphasis on familiarity thus de Liaño’s exclusion.

“There is no reason not to bring him this time except for the fact that we want to be loyal to the guys we had,” he added, referring to the lineup which has Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, Kevin Quiambao, and Carl Tamayo.

Joining them are June Mar Fajardo, AJ Edu, Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Japeth Aguilar, Quentin Millora-Brown, and RJ Abarrientos.

Speaking of Abarrientos, Cone said his inclusion was a factor of why de Liaño missed out this time.

“RJ had a great camp. RJ knows the system a little bit more, so he’s a little bit ahead,” he shared of his Barangay Ginebra guard.

Still, Cone emphasized that de Liaño’s time with Gilas is only being deferred, not denied.

“Juan is a future Gilas player. He will still be on the team at some point. He’s still new in the system, but what we did with him is lay the foundation,” he said.

Cone added that when that time comes, de Liaño is set to be a long-term member of the National squad.

“He’s going to be a fixture in this team. So instead of saying we’re sorry to Juan, it’s: ‘Congratulations. You proved your worth, and you’re gonna be in this team, no doubt about it.’”