National coach Tim Cone’s outlook heading into the Fiba window is rosy, and much of that optimism is because of long-time Gilas Pilipinas fixture June Mar Fajardo finally joining the fray in the Asia Cup Qualifiers.

Fajardo missed the first two games of the continental meet due to a calf strain but is now on track for his tournament debut on Thursday, when the Nationals battle a big and physical New Zealand side eager to also extend its hot 2-0 start.

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“He was a dominant player in the (Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Latvia) and we’re expecting him to be a dominant player again this window. He’s our mainstay and one of our big go-to guys,” Cone said of the San Miguel star

Since that February shelving, Fajardo has been on a tear, finding another gear in his game and displaying it for all of the world to see in Riga, where he went up against equally capable big men from Latvia, Montenegro and Brazil. He averaged nine points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in those three games against higher-ranked foes that were also hell-bent on tabbing a Paris berth.

Brilliance carried over

Fajardo’s splendid play carried over to the PBA, where he won his eighth MVP award and an 11th Best Player of the Conference trophy in the Philippine Cup.

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“You see the way he affects the game with San Miguel? The difference is when he plays and he doesn’t play? It’s the same with Gilas,” Cone said of the Cebuano big man. “He affects the game when he doesn’t play, so he’s going to give us our inside presence.”

Frontline with Kai

Gilas having Fajardo back in the fold couldn’t be more timely as the Nationals brace for a retooled Tall Blacks squad that Cone said could be reeling in young, physical and towering players.

Fajardo will also have the chance to continue manufacturing cohesion with young center and program cornerstone Kai Sotto, who is also on track for another Gilas stint after clearing the B.League’s concussion protocols.

“The nice thing is that Kai and June Mar are developing a chemistry which they can play together,” Cone said. (It’s) really unusual to get two 5-men and allow them to play together.”

Fajardo turned 35 on Sunday and is currently hard at work with Cone and the rest of Gilas preparing for the two homestands that include a return match against Hong Kong on Nov. 24.

“New Zealand … has beaten us pretty badly when we played them. But I really, really feel there’s a sense that we could beat them this time around,” Cone said of their Group B foes who have won the last four Fiba meetings stretching back to 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament held in Manila.

“I think there’s a sense of confidence in the players,” he went on. “I think if we come in with the idea that ‘Just believe, and we can do it,’ I think we will do it.” INQ