MANILA – The rookie year of the top overall pick Joshua Munzon was cut short after being ruled out of the Terrafirma Dyip for the rest of the 2021 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup.
According to the cager, he will not join the Dyip when it resumes play this week in Bacolor, Pampanga since he is recovering from surgery on his dislocated left pinky finger.
“There is a metal pin going down my left pinky finger keeping the joint together,” said Munzon. “I recently got the stitches out so, I’m coming along.”
The 26-year-old forward was injured during the Dyip’s lopsided defeat against the league-leading Magnolia Hotshots on July 30 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
Munzon, one of the country’s top 3×3 basketball players, could be a Rookie of the Year candidate based on his performance in his first three games in the league.
Munzon, who stands 6-foot-4, averaged 11.7 points per game, 1.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game in the first few weeks of the All-Filipino conference.
The Dyip are currently at the cellar in the standings, with a 0-4 win-loss record. When the PBA resumes at the Don Honorio Ventura State University gym, they still have seven games left on their schedule.
Despite Munzon’s absence, Dyip head coach Johnedel Cardel is confident that the team can reach the playoffs, shifting their focus to defense.
“We just need to get that first win the moment we resume the games,” Cardel said. “A lot of teams have two or three losses so, we still have a fighting chance for the playoffs.”/PN
