TNT KaTropa signed up NBA vet Lou Amundson, and the Texters will be making their PBA Commissioner’s Cup debut against Meralco on Friday not looking to rush franchise player Jason Castro into coming back.
Castro is still the most important piece in the TNT puzzle, though coach Nash Racela heaped praises on the former New York Knick Amundson, who came here on short notice after the Texters sent Denzel Bowles home for “self-destructing.”
“He’s OK, he’s very seasoned,” Racela said of Amundson, a 34-year-old who passed the 6-foot-10 height test on Thursday at the league’s offices in Libis, Quezon City. “He can definitely help the team.”
Racela bared that Castro is listed as doubtful for the 7 p.m. contest against the Bolts, though the 5-foot-10 dynamo voted as Asia’s best point guard twice will suit up.
“He’s been practicing, but his timing is definitely not there yet,” Racela said of Castro. “He’s still working on it. As a matter of fact, we needed to do scrimmage (on Thursday) to get him (Castro) and Amundson on board.”
Castro missed Game 7 of the Texters’ Final Four series against eventual champion San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Cup because of a hamstring pull. He was ordered to rest for at least two weeks after that.
Racela gave him more than that, knowing his value in the import-spiced conference.
“He actually had three weeks of rest, just to be sure,” Racela said. “He might be out (against the Bolts) and might play on Sunday (against Phoenix Petroleum). But it all depends on him on how he feels.”
Meralco will actually be shooting for the early lead and will try to stay unbeaten.
Alex Stepheson is slowly but surely improving and is plugging all the holes in the middle for the Bolts, who finished at the tailend of the All-Filipino where their weakness at the spot was exposed to the hilt.
The Bolts will be coming off a 91-84 decision of NLEX last week.
“Alex moved a little better,” coach Norman Black said of his burly import, an imposing presence in the paint who fights ferociously for those rebounds.
The Road Warriors, meanwhile, will try to snap a two-game losing streak when they face Mahindra in the 4:15 p.m. contest.