Cone begins Miami stint

MANILA, Philippines — It didn’t take long for Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone to begin his work as a Miami Heat assistant coach as two days after flying out of Manila last Tuesday, he was set to report at training camp in San Francisco.  Cone has declined comments on his two-week stint in compliance with NBA protocols, referring media inquiries to Miami vice president for Sports Media Relations Tim Donovan.

The Heat will be piloted by coach Erik Spoelstra’s assistant Malik Allen for three games at the California Classic in San Francisco and five at the NBA 2k23 Summer League in Las Vegas from July 2-16 or 17. It’s Allen’s second straight assignment as Miami head coach in the summer. Spoelstra will likely be in the stands during the games. Aside from Cone, Allen’s other assistant is Kasib Powell who coaches the Heat’s G-League affiliate Sioux Falls Skyforce. The 6-10 Allen was undrafted in 2000 but played in 10 NBA seasons.

Miami is scheduled to face the Los Angeles Lakers today, Sacramento Kings tomorrow and Golden State Warriors on Sunday in the California Classic. Then, the Heat moves to Las Vegas to play the Boston Celtics on July 9, Atlanta Hawks on July 12, Philadelphia 76ers on July 13, Toronto Raptors on July 15 and a still-to-be-determined team on either July 16 or 17. Miami has lined up 13 players for the San Francisco games and will add two more for Las Vegas. The additions are Marcus Garrett and Uzbekistan-born Turk Omer Yurtseven. Among the players listed for both San Francisco and Las Vegas are Hayward Highsmith, Mychal Mulder and Javonte Smart who all suited up for Miami this past season. Garrett and Yurtseven also played for the Heat last campaign. Included in the roster is Miami’s 2022 first round pick Nikola Jovic, a 6-10 Serbian who’s 19.

Cone is expected to scout, participate in game planning, assist Allen on the bench and be exposed in the lockerroom. Cone will bring that experience to the Ginebra organization when he returns. He missed Ginebra’s game against Converge yesterday and will skip Terrafirma on July 6, TNT on July 10 and Meralco on July 13. Cone will be back for Ginebra’s games against NorthPort on July 17 and Phoenix on July 21 to wrap up the team’s elimination schedule in the PBA Philippine Cup. Before leaving, Cone said he’s grateful to San Miguel Corp. president Ramon S. Ang and sports director/Ginebra PBA governor Alfrancis Chua for the opportunity of a lifetime to join the Heat staff this summer.