MANILA – Greg Slaughter might be unable to play for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings in their first few games in the 2018 PBA Commissioner’s Cup due to an injury.
On the other hand, Ranidel de Ocampo’s turn in Meralco Bolts will have to wait after he sustained a mild tear in his Achilles tendon during one of their practices recently.
Slaughter, a former Rookie of the Year awardee, said he will likely sit out for a month to recover from a sprained left ankle, which forced him out of action in the Philippine Cup.
“I just want to make sure I’m entering this conference 100 percent so nothing will build on itself,” he said. “I don’t want any nagging injuries lingering that could lead to something bigger.”
He added: “I was really believing, expecting to be back in the playoffs, but it was just more severe than I was accustomed to.
“Usually with sprains, I can stomp it off and play and, maybe a couple of days, I can come back and play, but this was the worst sprain I ever had.”
Slaughter suffered an injury-riddled conference. He missed a few games early in the eliminations because of a hamstring problem and was sorely missed when Kings was eliminated by eventual champion San Miguel Beermen in the Philippine Cup semifinals.
On his impending absence, de Ocampo said: “Sayang nga iyong two weeks na practice ko. Two to four weeks (ako mawawala). Nakakainip na nga e.”
De Ocampo missed the entire Philippine Cup to recover from a calf injury he suffered during the Finals of the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup against Kings./PN
