UNLESS he gets traded, Magnolia hopes to reactivate big man Russel Escoto from the injury list and see action in the coming 2021 PBA Governors Cup.
Magnolia coach Chito Victolero said the 28-year-old Escoto is still recovering from a shoulder operation that kept him from suiting up for the Hotshots in the Philippine Cup, where the team finished runner-up to TnT Tropang Giga.
The return of the 6-foot-6 forward will certainly bolster the Hotshots’ ceiling, which they obviously lacked in their title series against the Tropang Giga.
“Kailangan pa namin ng isang malaki para kahit paano madagdagan yung ceiling namin,” said the Magnolia mentor. “Right now, si Calvin [Abueva] plays 4 most of the time, but if we convert him sa 3 together with Rome [dela Rosa], we have a good chance.”
Escoto was acquired by Magnolia prior to the 46th season following a trade with Terrafirma for a 2022 second-round pick.
He previously played for San Miguel in the Clark bubble last season, but was shipped to the Dyip as part of a package to be able to acquire two-time scoring champion and former No. 1 draft pick CJ Perez.
However, it is still unclear on whether the Hotshots will keep Escoto or not especially since he’s being mentioned as a probable trade material by the team in a bid to acquire a more established big man.
Keep or trade?
Victolero said Escoto can definitely help the cause of the Hotshots.
“Russel is a good addition to the team. He’s 6-foot-6 and can contribute doon sa rebounding and at the same time, he spreads the floor because of his offense, yung outside shots niya,” he added.
“But he still needs to get his timing kasi more than a year na siyang hindi naglalaro.”
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