By REYNALD MAGALLON
Mikey Williams admitted that he’s still groping for form as he has fully recovered yet from an Achilles injury he sustained during the Finals of the All-Filipino Cup.
The flamboyant combo guard hasn’t been at his best offensive performance for TNT since the latter part of the Commissioner’s Cup before finally exploding in the team’s second game in the 2023 PBA Governors’ Cup.
Williams, after a relatively quiet first half, erupted for 16 points in the last two quarters to finish with 24 points and spearhead TNT’s comeback from 18-point down on the way to the Tropang Giga’s 105-100 win over the Rain or Shine E-Painters.
“I’ve been slowly and gradually trying to find my rhythm. I feel like I’m not totally hundred percent right now but I’m pushing through in the second half,” said Williams
“I’m just trying to be aggressive, making plays not only for myself, but for my teammates. We knew we had to toughen it up because we were struggling in the first half to find our rhythm and get in sync,” he added.
TNT head coach Jojo Lastimosa confirmed that Williams was not in hundred percent so far and actually still nursing the injury, the reason why he’s coming off the bench in the past two games.
“It’s because he’s not in shape yet. He had a really difficult time rehabbing his two Achilles. Mikey is eventually going back to the starting lineup, he already started in the second half. And that’s his spot. We can already see that he is close to his normal self then we can see more of him of course,” said Lastimosa.
For Williams’ part, he is taking his time and not rushing his return to his old and deadly form to ensure the full recovery from his injury.
“Definitely getting better. It was from the finals of the all-filipino cup just trying to play through it and kinda hurt a little more so I just gradually get it back each and every day trying to do everything I can to make sure I strengthen,” he added.
Despite the injury, Lastimosa had nothing but praises to the fighting heart of Williams as even still lacking the burst of speed on the offensive end, he noted that the sophomore guard has also been putting the work on the defense as of late.
“He made some baskets but Mikey’s defense tonight is excellent. The best I’ve seen in how many times I’ve been here and that’s what we demand from Mikey, he’s not only an offensive player, if he wants to be a very good defensive player he can do it because he got all the tools,” Lastimosa commented.
“It’s not only scoring but Mikey really defended well tonight.”
