SCOTTIE Thompson may be healing fast from his right hand injury, but it remains uncertain whether he’ll be able to join Gilas Pilipinas for its mini-pocket tournament in China by next week.
Despite still nursing a metacarpal fracture he sustained in the European training camp two weeks ago, the do-it-all guard has been religiously attending the national team’s weekday practices at the Meralco gym.
READ: Nikola Jokic out of Serbia lineup for World Cup
Although he’s not joining scrimmages yet, Thompson can now dribble the basketball, and using his left hand, joined the team in its light shootaround near the end of practice on Monday.
As to whether he’ll already be good by the time Gilas leaves for Guandong, China on August 1, no timeline has been set yet, according to coach Chot Reyes.
“I think it would be better for him to focus on his rehab here but we haven’t made a decision,” he said.
The mini-pocket tournament will run from August 2 to 6 that will have the Philippines battling World Cup-bound teams in Lebanon, Iran, and Senegal.
Thompson said he’s been getting weekly X-rays in order to know the healing extent of his injured hand.
Nonetheless, the PBA MVP out of Perpetual Help College remains in high spirits as he even went straight from Gilas practice to watch a game of the 2023 Bola TV AsiaBasket at the Villar Coliseum in Las Pinas.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
