Ginebra will have to wait for Japeth Aguilar a little longer.
The 36-year-old big man could still be out for three to five weeks. He’s still recuperating from an MCL sprain, according to head coach Tim Cone.
“From today, I would say anywhere between three and five weeks,” he said after the Kings’ 119-93 win over Blackwater in the PBA Governors’ Cup Sunday.
“I would say he might be back late, late in the playoffs. We’ll see.”
The Bossing game was already the fourth straight match that Aguilar missed since his injury during their duel versus NLEX last February 8.
He continues to be with the team albeit in street clothes, and Cone couldn’t offer a more accurate projection on his return as his star only has orders to rest.
“Right now he’s immobilized, his knee is immobilized,” he said.
“So, we can’t really figure anything out until he frees his knee and starts exercising. Then, we’ll have a better idea of when he’ll be back.
“Right now he’s just purely being immobilized. There’s no testing going on, there’s nothing going on, just complete rest for that knee,” added Cone.
The PBA’s winningest mentor lamented missing Aguilar’s services for the upcoming sixth window of the FIBA World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers.
His absence has thinned out Gilas’ frontline since the men’s team won’t also have Kai Sotto and Carl Tamayo due to their upcoming B.League stints.
“Sayang, we’re gonna really miss him for the window,” said Cone, who serves as an assistant to head coach Chot Reyes.
“Him, and Kai. It’s really tough for this upcoming window. Those two guys, we really relied on a lot. But we’re gonna try to figure out ways to do it differently.”
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