BLACKWATER will be welcoming back JVee Casio and Joshua Torralba, but Troy Rosario will remain out for the first few games of the PBA Governors’ Cup following injuries that kept them out for a lengthy period of time.
Head coach Ariel Vanguardia said Casio and Torralba are set to go for their Wednesday opener against NLEX after missing the entire Commissioner’s Cup. Casio has recovered from a groin injury, while Torralba has been out since July due to an injury in his quad.
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Rosario though will still need a few more days to recuperate from plantar fasciitis.
Injuries played a huge factor in Blackwater’s campaign in the Commissioner’s Cup, where it finished 12th with a 3-9 win-loss record. Even lead guard Baser Amer missed the tailend of the elimination round with a calf strain.
“Ang main objective namin is to be healthy. Si Baser [Amer] ready to go, JVee, hopefully makalaro na sa Wednesday and si JT (Torralba) makakalaro na finally,” said Vanguardia on Friday.
“Minutes restrictions pa si JVee at JT pero at least lalaro na,” said Vanguardia.
Blackwater will also have a game next Friday against Phoenix Super LPG where Casio and Torralba, the team's second-round pick from last season's draft, could be playing more minutes.
“Ngayong week ‘yung start ng contact [practice] nila. So at least, puwede na silang mag-scrimmage. Ngayon ‘yung first scrimmage nila so siguro sa Wednesday, some minutes. Pero sa Friday, baka regular minutes na siguro,” said Vanguardia.
Vanguardia said Rosario, who turned 31 on Friday, will soon participate in Blackwater practices once cleared.
“Okay na ‘yung plantar niya pero nagpalinis siya ng bone spurs sa left knee. I think by our third or fourth game, baka puwede na. Next week, puwede na siya mag-non-contact,” said Vanguardia.
Casio, Torralba, and Rosario are some of the holdovers in the Bossing lineup after a rejig that led to the acquisition of RK Ilagan, Mike DiGregorio, and Tyrus Hill in a trade with Converge.
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