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Cone explains Baltazar's exclusion from Asian Games roster

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Justine Baltazar at the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers in Bahrain. FIBA.basketball." src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/tvpatrol/12/13/justine-baltazar.jpg"/><figcaption>Justine Baltazar at the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 qualifiers in Bahrain. <em>FIBA.basketball</em>.</figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA -- Given such short time to prepare for the Asian Games, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone said he can not afford to bring in 6-foot-9 Justine Baltazar just yet to his lineup for now.</p><p>Cone said during an interview on Noli Eala&#x27;s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AykhA-e9uM4&amp;ab_channel=OnePH">Power and Play</a> that he is looking for players he is already familiar with.</p><p>“First of all, I wouldn’t mind. But I don’t know him,&quot; said the two-time PBA Grandslam coach. &quot;(The) last time I saw him play was in La Salle what two, three years ago during the pandemic?&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/09/23/cone-clarifies-baltazar-situation-apologizes-for-hasty-remarks">Cone clarifies Baltazar situation, apologizes for &#x27;hasty remarks&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>&quot;We are going to go with guys who are familiar to us at this point.”</p><p>This means he is sticking with the FIBA World Cup holdovers like June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson and Japeth Aguilar, together with naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame.</p><p>Also expected to join the lineup are Roger Pogoy and pool players Chris Newsome and Calvin Oftana.</p><p>“If we had a pool, we can bring (Baltazar) in and take a look at him, then fine, that would be great. But at this point, it&#x27;s just, if I have more time, then yes, we would invite him,” said Cone.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/09/07/23/gilas-to-fill-gaps-left-by-kai-and-co-for-asian-games">Gilas to fill gaps left by Kai and company for Asian Games</a></li></ul><p>The interview was done before the coach offered his apology to Baltazar&#x27;s camp for saying that the player apparently &quot;lacked interest&quot; to join the nationals.</p><p>Cone admitted that Baltazar may have been also correct in his claim that the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas never invited the former La Salle big man to the national team pool for the FIBA World Cup.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8p5C8uVrbHc?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Given the short time to prepare for the Asiad, Tim Cone says he cannot afford to include Justine Baltazar into the Gilas Pilipinas lineup for now.