The coaching staff will have to make an important decision next week.
Scottie Thompson’s availability for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup is still hanging in the balance.
Coach Chot Reyes, who appeared on One Sports' The Game on Thursday, said it remains to be seen whether or not the reigning PBA MVP can join the team ahead of the tournament dubbed as the “New Thrilla in Manila.”
“Scottie Thompson is a weekly thing. We continue to monitor, he has weekly x-rays. We're trying to see if his hand, his fracture can heal in time,” Reyes said.
The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel star sustained a metacarpal fracture in his right hand during Gilas’ training camp in Lithuania.
This injury prevented Thompson from joining Gilas' journey to China, where the national team faced teams from Iran and Senegal at the Heywuan WUS International Basketball Tournament.
Reyes, though, assured that Thompson continues to be in shape.
“But he's keeping himself in shape,” he said of Thompson, who recently attended his graduation rites.
“I think we will take a look again by next week. Kung hindi pa rin 100 percent, we might have to make a difficult decision for Scottie,” Reyes said in a separate interview on One PH's Sa Totoo Lang, also on Thursday.
If he is unable to recover in time, Gilas is in danger of going to the FIBA World Cup without a natural point guard.
There’s Jordan Clarkson, though, who figures to be Gilas' primary playmaker anyway. The Utah Jazz star as well as Kai Sotto already attended Gilas practice on Wednesday.
(MDB)