William Navarro is gearing up for a comeback.
The young winger is targeting to return to NorthPort come the PBA Season 48 Commissioner’s Cup playoffs, head coach Bonnie Tan disclosed.
“Will is getting ready to join practice next week, maybe,” the veteran mentor told Tiebreaker Times. “He’s trying to join the team sa playoffs.
“Sana, makahabol siya,” he added.
Tan said as much shortly after the Batang Pier’s 106-89 win over Blackwater on Friday night, which formalized their entry to the quarterfinals.
It was the team’s penultimate game of the eliminations, with their last one on Sunday, January 7, against Ginebra at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
The playoffs are expected to begin around January 16, meaning that Navarro could be back on the court over a year after suffering a right ACL tear.
He got hurt during their Season 47 Commissioner’s Cup quarters loss to the Kings back on December 10, 2022 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig.
The former Gilas stalwart’s return is undeniably a welcome boost for a NorthPort side that’s currently at no. 6 in the standings with a 6-4 record.
Aside from Navarro, the Batang Pier may be welcoming rookie Zav Lucero as well “this month” also from an ACL injury, Tan said.
The UP product got hurt during Game 2 of the Fighting Maroons’ UAAP Season 85 men’s basketball Finals duel with Ateneo last December 14, 2022.
Still, it didn’t stop NorthPort from using its fifth overall pick on the athletic 6-foot-6 forward during the 2023 PBA Rookie Draft.
“Naguusap kami, with his manager,” said the former Letran coach. “This month, dapat makabalik na siya. ‘Yun ang target namin.”
