MANILA, Philippines–Coach Tim Cone is no longer optimistic of Jayson Castro’s Gilas comeback for the Southeast Asian Games.
“I don’t see how he can,” said Cone after Barangay Ginebra scraped past Rain or Shine 98-89 Saturday in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
It was revealed Saturday that Castro will be sidelined for at least three weeks due to soleus muscle strain, not an Achilles tear as initially feared, TNT manager Gabby Cui told Inquirer.
“If he makes the minimum time, which means he’ll come back Nov. 26 or 27, that would be three days before the tournament starts,” Cone said.
“And that is if he’s healthy,” he continued. “He has to get in shape. He has to play. If he’s five, six weeks out—we’re already done [preparing by then].”
Castro, who was part of the iconic Gilas edition that saw action in the 2014 basketball World Cup, hurt his right foot early into TNT’s losing against NLEX on Friday.
The sliver of hope, Cone said, lies in the opinion of Dr. Jose Raul Canlas, the renowned sports medicine expert.
“We’ll talk to Dr. Canlas and hear what he has to say before we make a final ruling on whether we need to look for somebody else or consider playing without him,” he said.