Talk about a tough pill to swallow for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
Already missing Greg Slaughter due to an ankle injury, the Barangay suffered another blow on Saturday as Paul Harris hyperextended his right thumb and may be ruled out of the conference.
Though coach Tim Cone is already bracing for the worst, he’s still keeping his hopes up that the returning reinforcement will be fine.
“I just hope it’s not as bad as everybody says it was and they’re over-exaggerating it,” he said.
Harris hurt his hand after he tried to block GlobalPort import Dominique Sutton with 1:03 left in the third quarter. He would immediately leave the game and was taken to St. Luke’s Medical Center in Bonifacio Global City for further evaluation as Ginebra eventually won the game, 93-81.
Cone just shook his head in disbelief with the turn of events, as he really thought that Harris fitted the bill perfectly for the crowd favorites.
“I know how excited he is to be here with his new wife. It seemed like a perfect situation for him and for us. I can’t help but feel sorry for him,” he said.
“We spent a whole month with Paul teaching the system and getting along with the guys and it will be heartbreaking to lose him.”
Aside from the steady production Ginebra is getting from Harris, Cone said that the team will sorely miss the intangibles the champion import brings to the team.
“He is such a great energy guy and I always felt that it’s one thing we always lacked since I’ve taken over Ginebra. Really, that day-in and day-out, that drive and passion, and Paul brought that to us every day. We’ll really miss that,” he said.
“It’s a month of working together down the drain. It’s a tough blow for us.”
But there’s no time for Cone to cry over spilled milk as he seeks to find a replacement quick before the Gin Kings return to action next Sunday against Alaska.
“We have eight days to see what will happen to Paul and if necessary, get another guy in,” he said.
