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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Tim Cone banks on Juan GDL to help fill Scottie Thompson's void

Tim Cone banks on Juan GDL to help fill Scottie Thompson's void

Published Jun 27, 2026 01:08 pm

At A Glance

  • Cone revealed that Thompson was ruled out of the Final 12 due to a hamstring injury, paving the way for Juan Gomez de Liano to earn a spot on the roster.
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone admitted that losing veteran guard Scottie Thompson leaves a significant void, but the multi-titled mentor remains confident his backcourt has enough depth to step up.
Cone revealed that Thompson was ruled out of the Final 12 due to a hamstring injury, paving the way for Juan Gomez de Liano to earn a spot on the roster.
Gomez de Liano is expected to team up with RJ Abarrientos in running the Gilas' backcourt.
“Scotty's got a really, really bad hamstring. It got worse as the series went on. After game 7 it was really quite bad. Dr. Canlas has ordered him to have 6-8 weeks of rest,” said Cone.
“We're really going to miss him. (But) it gives guys like Juan a chance to come out and play. One guy's misfortune is another person's fortune. This is good for Juan,” he added.
Emerging as one of the potent scorers for Converge in the PBA, Gomez de Liano was added to the pool in the last two windows. And while his game hasn’t been fully translated in the international play, Gilas had seen glimpses of his potential.
Combining Gomez de Liano with Abarrientos, who had a breakout conference that saw him win his first championship along with a Best Player of the Conference award, really excites Cone.
“It's going to be interesting to see Juan and RJ lead the team in the backcourt,” he added.
The Nationals are currently in Brisbane as part of their preparations for the pair of road games against New Zealand and Australia in the third window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers.

Related Tags

Tim Cone Scottie Thompson Gilas Pilipinas Juan Gomez de Liano
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