JUNE Mar Fajardo may now be back on the practice court, but it will still take some time before the prized center can play.
So San Miguel Beer is trying to fill the gaping hole by trying out two big men, each expected to help hold the fort while Fajardo is not yet 100 percent.
Coach Leo Austria refused to confirm or deny it, but a team insider reported that the Beermen currently have James Sena and Alfonzo Gotladera with them in their practice sessions in Batangas.
“Management still has to decide, pero may time pa naman so there’s no hurry,” the source told Malaya-Business Insight. “Still, depende lahat iyan sa ipapakita nu’ng dalawa and may chance ding pareho silang ma-sign up.”
Sena was picked ninth overall in the 2009 draft by SMB but spent most of his PBA time bouncing around Air21, Meralco and, most recently, Blackwater. He has actually been a Beerman practice player since last year, but was not included in the team’s Philippine Cup bubble stint last year.
The burlier Gotladera, also standing 6-foot-5, crashed the PBA through NLEX’s special draft pick in 2016 but mostly saw action for Bataan in the MPBL.
Fajardo, sidelined since February of last year due to a fractured right shin bone, is on his way to full recovery and even joined SMB in its initial practices last week in Batangas City and in the Beermen’s move to the Aquamarine Recreational Center in Lipa City starting last Monday afternoon.
“Gradual lang, di puwedeng biglain ‘yun. In time makakabalik ‘yun,” Austria said of Fajardo.
“Mga two weeks before opening full scrimmage na ‘yun. Kung titingnan mo nga siya parang di nanggaling sa injury,” added Austria. “Kaya lang di pa talaga siya puwedeng sumabay.
More on skills and konting agility lang muna puwede sa kanya.”
Austria expects the six-time MVP to miss at least the first week of the season-opening Philippine Cup but should be back to his old dominant self soon after that.
“‘Yung old form niya hindi pa agad makakabalik. After a few games pa iyon, bago niya makuha dati niyang laro,” noted Austria.
In the meantime, SMB has to make do with Mo Tautuaa as its lone legitimate center following the reported recent retirement of Billy Mamaril and Russel Escoto being part of the trade to Terrafirma last February that netted the Beermen CJ Perez.
