VETERAN playmaker Jayson Castro’s season-ending right knee injury can be a boon or a bane for TNT in its semifinals clash with Rain or Shine in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Elasto Painters coach Yeng Guiao is convinced Castro’s absence can prove to be the turning point in the series.
“Stabilizer nila si Jayson. I think (when) he is playing, his minutes are also being managed, it’s around 20-plus minutes. Pero quality iyong inilalaro niyang mga minutes,” Guiao said. “It’s really the time when he’s on the court that he is able to make his teammates around him better.
“It’s always been a problem on defense because he can assist, he can shoot the three, he can drive to the basket. So, malaking bagay talaga,” he added.
The 5-foot-10 Castro was good for 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.0 assists before going down with a patellar tendon tear in the second tiff of the race-to-4 battle last Friday.
Without their finals MVP in the last Governors’ Cup, the Tropang Giga yielded a 98-103 loss in Game 3 last Sunday that allowed Rain or Shine to cut the deficit to 1-2.
While wishing no ill on his fellow Pampanga native, Guiao is keen on pouncing on Castro’s absence.
“Model namin si Jayson. Sinasabi ko, ‘Tingnan ninyo maglaro iyon.’ Marami kayong matututunan diyan,” he said. “Pero malaking bagay pa rin. It’s still a big break for us that they’re not able to utilize him.
“But of course, you don’t wish that on anybody. Sabi ko nga, ito ang panahon na nagbre-break down na ang mga player.”
Game 4 is set today at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
