Roger Pogoy will not be able to suit up for Gilas Pilipinas in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
Gilas team manager Gabby Cui said via text message on Wednesday morning that MRI results revealed a disc bulge in the 6-foot-2 swingman’s lumbosacral joint, causing nerve root irritation.
Doctors have advised Pogoy to completely rest for a week, then begin rehabilitation after, added Cui.
The Far Eastern University product hurt his back late in TNT KaTropa’s PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinal match versus the Magnolia Hotshots last Monday, which they won, 98-97.
This unfortunate development is a tough blow for the Nationals, with the SEAG Men’s Basketball Tournament raising its curtains just exactly a week from now.
Moreover, this has stalled Pogoy’s dream of playing in the regional biennial meet for the first time in his career.
With the Cebuano cager out, the door is now open for coach Tim Cone to bring Greg Slaughter into the SEAG roster.
Cone has hinted at possible changes in Gilas’ lineup, as the 7-foot center played in Ginebra’s quarters clash versus San Miguel last Sunday. He had previously sat out for two weeks due to a dislocated thumb.
The decorated bench tactician said that they could make the change in the SEAG Manager’s Meeting on December 3 should Slaughter prove that he has fully recovered from his injury.
An earlier report, though, said that Slaughter could make the lineup only as a replacement for an injured player among the 12 names submitted by the SBP to the PHISGOC.
So now, with Pogoy been ruled out, and should he reach a hundred percent in terms of health, the 30-year-old Slaughter might make his way into the team made up of PBA stars.
Still, Cone has other options for Pogoy’s replacement, such Gin Kings Arth Dela Cruz and Scottie Thompson and veteran guard Jayson Castro, who has fully recovered from a soleus muscle strain.
Gilas is looking to win the Philippines’ 18th gold medal in the SEAG men’s cage tilt set on December 4-11.
