TAKE care of business now and then take care of landing a podium finish later in the 19th Asian Games.
Philippine men's basketball coach Tim Cone stressed that's the mindset the team has right not while trying to build chemistry and cohesion going to the Hangzhou, China tournament.
Thinking about winning a medal, more so the gold, remains a priority, but not at the moment.
"We're just focus on practicing every day. And then tomorrow we'll practice again. And then the day after tomorrow we'll practice again. That's really our focus," said Cone.
"I kept saying our goal is to win a gold medal, but our focus is not worried about that medal right now. Our focus is what we do today, or what we do tomorrow, or what we do the next day. We really want to win the gold, but that's not our focus at this point."
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It's just been five days after Cone officially began whipping the team into a cohesive unit for the Asiad, with the next five days to be spent entirely at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna where extensive, closed-door practices will be conducted.
Upon returning to Manila, Gilas will next play the visiting Changwon LG Sakers on Friday at the Philsports Arena before departing for China the following day.
"If you ask me if we have to play in the Asian Games tomorrow, patay, we'll be dead. Wala na. We're not good na," said Cone.
"But we still got a week and guys are getting better every day. We don't need to be good today, but we need to be good when we play our first game (against Bahrain). And that's our goal, try to be good the next. Hopefully, playing until we have a chance to win a gold. We'll see, we'll see." (RG)