Rob Dozier Jr. of Alaska. PBA IMAGES
Opting to take the safer route to start its campaign in the 2016 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, Alaska sat out import Rob Dozier and went all-Filipino in the Aces’ shock 107-101 defeat to Blackwater on Friday.
Though reluctant to say at first, coach Alex Compton disclosed that the import is nursing a plantar fasciitis injury in his left foot.
“I didn’t really wanna disclose that to you because that will give them an advantage in their game plan. So we’ve had to adjust because of his injury. You just deal with whatever life throws at you,” said the American coach.
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But the former Best Import downplayed his foot injury.
“It’s nothing serious. I’m not overly concerned,” Dozier said.
Compton explains that Dozier hurt himself in practice some weeks back, but the reinforcement “looked great.”
“I was excited because he fits right into our system, but he just couldn’t play,” he said.
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Dozier, meanwhile, is targeting to play in Alaska’s game on Wednesday against Tropang TNT and is raring to finally get himself back in the court.
“That’s what we’re pushing for,” he said. “We’re just going to continue to treat it. It’s getting better every day, though.”
And Compton is highly optimistic of that happening, too.
“We’ll see. He’s a tough guy and he wants to play,” the coach said. “It’s just one of those things you gotta deal with. We’ll work on it. I just hope that we’ll play with a sustained high level of intensity and get sharper.”