BY REYNALD MAGALLON
The wear and tear from the hectic schedule is taking toll on Barangay Ginebra with Japeth Aguilar and Stephen Holt joining Jamie Malonzo, Jeremiah Gray and Isaac Go on the sick bay.
Aguilar and Holt played through the first three games of the Commissioner’s Cup but missed out on the team’s 114-98 victory over Terrafirma due to injuries.
“I think, honestly, the schedule has been part of the reason why our guys got injured, Japeth and Stephen,” said Cone.
“Because we’re overplaying them, and they’re playing too much, too quick. So hopefully, we can stay a little bit healthy over the next couple of games, and sometime we’ll get those guys back,” he added.
According to Cone, the two are considered day-to-day, even weeks-to-weeks with Holt nursing a knee injury and Aguilar dealing with a pulled groin – injuries the two players sustained during its 100-103 loss to Eastern.
“At this point, both of them are day-to-day, maybe even week-to-week. We’re not so sure, because it has been too quick since they have been injured,” said Cone.
“Stephen has a knee injury. It looks like a hyperextension or maybe a bone bruise, because again, we’re not 100% sure as these are preliminary observations. Japeth has a groin pull. We don’t know the severity yet, but he’s scheduled for an MRI and we’ll take a look at that when we can,” he added.
Cone is hopeful to have the two back for the final stretch of their schedule this year which will see the Kings play the Converge FiberXers on Saturday, Dec. 21 before taking on the Magnolia Hotshots on Christmas Day.
“I’m hoping that Stephen is a little bit [better], Japeth is maybe a little bit longer, but again, we don’t know anything for sure at his point. Hopefully, we can have them by Saturday, if not, by Christmas day, then we will have 10 to 12 days before we play again,” he added.
