Even with the enhanced involvement and participation of the San Miguel Corp. camp, interim GILAS Pilipinas coach Tim Cone will have access to all PBA players for the Asian Games team.

Regardless of the players’ allegiance, Cone stated that he intends to assemble the strongest team possible for the Asiad. The procedure is still in progress.

Cone stated during the news conference announcing his selection as the Asiad coach of Gilas Pilipinas that he is going to choose whoever the team is out there as the greatest player can get. 

Alfrancis Chua, the SMC sports director, assumed the position of team manager because of Cone’s hiring. Three from Barangay Ginebra and four from the SMC group, June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, and Justin Brownlee, are confirmed for the Hangzhou Games.

However, Cone added that other players are also being taken into account.

Chua claimed that choosing players from a single group is no longer an option because Ramon S. Ang and Manny V. Pangilinan, two business titans, are now working together to assemble a roster for Gilas.

Players like CJ Perez of San Miguel and Roger Pogoy of TNT, as well as pool players Chris Newsome of Meralco and Calvin Oftana of TNT, who were on the final World Cup roster, are all being considered for the Asiad team, according to Cone.

Cone, though, is reluctant to use specific names.

Though his participation is still debatable because the Fil-Am player has been on vacation in the US ever since the season ended.

One of the people that they are talking about who’s still up in the air, but who can really make an impact for the team is Mikey Williams, he added.

The Fil-Am guard has progressed to become one of TNT’s primary offensive alternatives ever since the network selected him with the fourth overall pick in the Season 46 draft.

He won two championships with the Tropang Giga and was voted Rookie of the Year, Mythical Team first selection, and twice Finals MVP in such a brief period.

Another one of the top players on interim Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone’s roster for the Asian Games will not be available.

Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, a versatile big player, is unquestionably off the national squad because his fractured leg has not entirely healed four months after suffering the injury in the 32nd Southeast Asian Games.

Cone acknowledged that his top pick for the Asiad is the sophomore player of NLEX after watching him compete for the national team in Cambodia, where Gilas reclaimed the basketball gold at the expense of the host nation.

The national coach claimed to have spoken with the 6-foot-7 Ganuelas-Rosser one-on-one just hours before he was formally introduced as Chot Reyes’ replacement as the Gilas coach.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) submitted a final 12-man roster to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) within the deadline for the list of final entries by name set by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, and Ganuelas-Rosser was one of the players on that roster.

Nevertheless, even if his broken leg heals in time for the Sept. 23 to Oct. 8 meet, he will not be in game shape given that the ailment has kept him sidelined for more than four months.