Jordan Clarkson Says Playing for Gilas Under Cone "Would Be Dope," But Scheduling Conflicts Remain

 Filipino-American NBA standout Jordan Clarkson has expressed his interest in suiting up for Gilas Pilipinas under the leadership of head coach Tim Cone.

Clarkson, currently playing for the Utah Jazz, last donned the national team jersey as a "naturalized" player during the 2023 FIBA World Cup under Coach Chot Reyes.

In a recent interview with Spin.ph, Clarkson praised Cone's coaching style,  having observed him firsthand as an assistant to Reyes during the World Cup.

"He's (Cone) pretty organized and does a great job of communicating," Clarkson said. "Seems really smart at the time I've been around him. Seems like a great coach, you know. To have an opportunity to play for him on the national team, I think that would be dope."

However, despite Clarkson's enthusiasm, Coach Cone previously indicated that  scheduling conflicts with the NBA season make the player's participation unlikely.

In an interview with Noli Eala's Power and Play, Cone emphasized the importance of  continuity within the team system.

"We felt that continuity, system, familiarity—those things are higher priorities than just purely talent level," Cone explained. "We feel that over time, familiarity and system are more important to the long-term success than just showing up with great players every chance you get. The system, the philosophy this program is taking at this point, we're not going to look for ultimate players all the time."

Currently, Gilas has Justin Brownlee as their naturalized player, alongside  Kouame Ange. The coaching staff is also prepping Bennie Boatwright as Brownlee's  potential successor.

While scheduling remains a hurdle, Clarkson's interest in playing under Cone  indicates a strong commitment to the national team.  Filipino basketball fans  can only hope that a solution can be found in the future, allowing Clarkson to  contribute his talent under Coach Cone's leadership.