ANTIPOLO CITY - Barangay Ginebra is seeking a second opinion on whether an ACL tear in Greg Slaughter's right knee will require surgery or can heal with complete rest, a team insider said.
On Wednesday, it was confirmed by renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. George Canlas that the 6-foot-11 Slaughter suffered an ACL tear on his right knee as SPIN.ph had reported on Saturday.
However, a team insider believes it would be better for the third-year center to go under the knife and return a brand-new and better 'Gregzilla' next season.
"Personally, I think he should undergo surgery," said the Ginebra insider, who requested not to be named in the absence of a formal statement from the league's most popular ballclub.
As explained to the team, only the upper part of the ligament suffered a tear when Slaughter fell on his own during his first game back in the PBA Governors Cup last week against Mahindra, leaving the lower portion complete and intact.
That's why the team is also trying to get a second opinion and see whether Slaughter's knee needs only complete rest to heal.
"Yun ang gusto nilang malaman kung pwede pang ilaro since it's not a total tear," said the source, adding some in the team are comparing the situation with the injury suffered by June Mar Fajardo.
"Pero iba naman kasi yung kay June Mar, " stressed the source about the condition of the San Miguel superstar when he came back during the Philippine Cup finals after likewise suffering a knee injury during the team's semifinal series against Rain or Shine.
"Kung ako, dapat talaga operahan," the same insider said.
Slaughter missed the Kings' first eight games in the conference after undergoing ankle surgery to remove bone spurs during the mid-season break.