Ready to face the future

MANILA, Philippines - Alaska coach Tim Cone isn’t going the way of the dinosaur, that’s for sure. At 52, the PBA’s longest-tenured coach with over 20 years of experience may be a little ancient, if not pre-historic, compared to the average age of the other PBA coaches but he’s far from headed towards extinction.

In fact, Cone says he doesn’t feel----or act----his age and he’s as motivated and excited as when he was a rookie coach in 1989, learning, finding ways to improve the Aces, watching tapes of games endlessly and reading up on how his idols Phil Jackson and Tex Winter became gurus of the bench profession.

What makes Cone an outstanding tactician isn’t just his ability to coach. It’s his attitude towards the game, the players and the league. Three things embody Cone’s character----respect, integrity and professionalism.

Cone’s respect for the game is reflected in his passion. He works within the rules, innovates and exhibits the discipline necessary to get the job done game after game. He empowers his players to respect each other because trust in a team game is vital. And he respects the PBA as a way of life. Cone will never turn down a request for an interview----win or lose, he shows up to face the PBA press corps as his expression of respect to media being an integral partner of the league.

Integrity means honesty and Cone is true to the game. When Alaska loses, he makes no excuses. He looks at himself in the mirror and doesn’t imagine what he isn’t. He realizes that to succeed, one’s feet must be on the ground, one’s head must be in its place and one’s heart must beat with vigor. After the Aces were swept by Purefoods in the All-Filipino finals this past season, Cone didn’t sulk or think that he had withered into obsolescence. Instead, he picked up the pieces, made hard decisions and worked his way back to the top in the Fiesta Conference, waylaying in the process three of the league’s superpowers in the playoffs----Barangay Ginebra, Talk ‘N’ Text and San Miguel Beer.

Professionalism is non-negotiable in Cone’s book. There’s nothing personal in the way he shuttles players in and out of the court or in and out of the team. Players respect Cone for his unbridled professionalism----they know when he makes a move, it’s for the good of the team and theirs. Trading Larry Fonacier to draft Elmer Espiritu, for instance, was a decision that didn’t come in a dream. Cone agonized in sending Fonacier off but the Ateneo hotshot is now in bluer skies with Talk ‘N’ Text and the Aces couldn’t pass on the opportunity to snatch the fancied rookie Espiritu.

Cone doesn’t think only of today. His vision goes beyond the present. He understands that Alaska is in the PBA to stay and to remain competitive, there must be a blueprint to lead the Aces into the future with a full deck of cards.

Winning the Fiesta Conference crown this year was a milestone achievement for the Alaska organization. The Aces’ previous championship came in 2007 and five conferences ago. It was Alaska’s 13th title in 25 finals on the eve of the franchise’s 25th anniversary. The victory also re-established Cone’s prominence as a championship coach----in the last two seasons, Alaska made it to three of four finals, an indication that he’s still got what it takes to win.

No doubt, Cone’s upbringing influenced his code of conduct. His late father Earl and late mother Doodie taught him family values and by example, opened his eyes to respect, integrity and professionalism. Cone was born in the US and when he was nine, moved to the Philippines with his parents. He went to school in Manila then enrolled at Menlo Park Junior College, where Alaska team owner Fred Uytengsu, former NBA coach Jeff Van Gundy and University of Kansas assistant coach Kurtis Townsend (his brother Ray is the only Fil-Am ever to play in the NBA) studied. Cone went on to attend George Washington University before returning to Manila to settle down. He is married to a Filipina, Cristina Viaplana (her brother Eddie was a former La Salle and PBL cager), with three children Nikki, 18, Kevin, 14 and Trevor, 5.

When they were alive, Cone’s parents were regular fixtures in the stadium. They never missed Alaska games and were an inspiration to Cone.

With 13 titles under his belt, Cone is only two shy of duplicating Baby Dalupan’s all-time record for most championships. And with Cone masterfully rebuilding the Aces’ cast for the future, it’s a foregone conclusion that when he finally retires, the all-time record will be his.

Cone says he’ll always be grateful to Uytengsu and his father Wilfred Uytengsu, Sr. for the opportunity to coach the team. He dedicated the last title to Uytengsu’s father who died last April.

“Fred wanted the title for his dad,” says Cone. “We dedicated the season to Mr. Uytengsu who was a driven man, an old school type who valued loyalty and demanded excellence. I remember on my third year as coach, Mr. Uytengsu went to the ULTRA with a group of friends to watch our game against Shell. We were up by 30, 48-18, but ended up losing. The next morning, at about 5 a.m., he phoned to say how the loss was such an embarrassment and that I’d better not do it again. Fred is just as driven as his father and his commitment to excellence is what propels our team. His sense of family and the way he treats employees is why you see people working loyally for 20, 30 and 40 years for the Uytengsus.”

This past season, Alaska posted an overall record of 39-23, a winning clip of .629----the third highest in team history behind .708 during the grand slam in 1996 and .633 in 2000 when the Aces won the All-Filipino Cup and placed second in the Commissioner’s Cup. It’s the loftiest mark in the last eight years and a tribute to Cone’s durability.

In the last All-Filipino conference, Alaska blanked Ginebra in the semifinals and lost to Purefoods via a sweep in the finals. Four games into the Fiesta Conference, Cone bit the bullet to trade two-time MVP Willie Miller for Cyrus Baguio and the Aces went on to down San Miguel in the six-game finals. Diamon Simpson was Alaska’s import from start to finish and his superior play prompted Cone to name the St. Mary’s College forward as one of the team’s best recruits ever, sharing the honor with Sean Chambers, Rosell Ellis and Devin Davis.

Baguio’s arrival cements Alaska’s foundation for the future. He’s as much a building block as point guard L. A. Tenorio.

LA Tenorio

“Cyrus has changed the way we play,” says Cone. “But we’re thankful to Willie for bringing us to this level. He took us to two finals. Willie texted to congratulate us right after we clinched the title. He didn’t have to do it and I appreciated it. With Cyrus, we’re a bigger threat in transition. He makes us quicker in the backcourt with L. A. He’s a three-point threat and an underrated defender. I thought in the playoffs, he did a great defensive job on Mark Caguioa, Willie, MacMac Cardona and Dondon Hontiveros. In a sense, he’s like what Johnny Abarrientos was to us. I can’t compare L. A. with anyone because he’s his own identity but if you really think about it, he’s somewhat like a Jojo Lastimosa as a leader.”

Four other holdovers are essential ingredients in Cone’s recipe for success----Tony de la Cruz, Joe de Vance, Sonny Thoss and Mark Borboran. “Tony’s our team guy, very unselfish,” continues Cone. “He came alive for us in the Talk ‘N’ Text series. I’m most proud of Joe, how he matured last season. He’s a 6-7 guy who shoots threes, plays the big guys inside, posts up and slides to the two-spot in our triangle. Sonny was reactivated in time to play the last four games of the finals and in Game 6, gave us a big lift with 12 points as Tony sat out with sore eyes. Then, we’ve got our bench. Mark’s now in his third year. It’s been a slow but solid process for him. He goes out there to battle for his minutes. He knows the hierarchy in our system but never complains. He’s playing with more confidence.”

Others in the mix include Reynel Hugnatan, Samigue Eman, Mike Burtscher, newly-acquired Bonbon Custodio and rookies Espiritu and Marvin Hayes. Of the 12, only three are 30 and over with De la Cruz the senior statesman at 32. The balance puts Alaska in shape for the future.

Cone says the key to Alaska’s ascendancy is chemistry.

“Our team philosophy is built around trusting each other,” he explains. “We’ve got young and veteran players and we work like a family.” If execution is Alaska’s trademark, it comes with a lot of teamwork, discipline and hard work. Trust is the underlying factor in executing Alaska’s triangle offense to precision.

Cone realizes that in today’s sophisticated game, unpredictability is almost an imperative. And he’s ready to adapt, adjust and employ new tactics to keep the defense guessing. Baguio’s one-on-one ability, for instance, will be useful in isolations when improvising away from the triangle. The three-point shot and the zone defense were never big in Cone’s playbook before but with the international game gaining more credibility, he’s tracking paths to be more proactive, innovative and unpredictable with tactics previously considered unconventional in Alaska’s system.

The sky’s the limit for Alaska as the Aces face the future in the PBA with renewed optimism and a stronger commitment to reach greater heights in the next 25 years.