An Injured Ray Parks: A Big Blow to TNT

In the opening game of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Finals last Sunday, Ray Parks rose up for a dunk that put Ginebra rookie, Arvin Tolentino, in a poster. While Parks scored a team-leading 20 points, the TNT Tropang Giga lost to the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, 100-94 to open the best-of-seven championship series.

While Parks isn't the barometer for the success of the Tropang Giga, he averaged a team-leading 20 points during the elimination round and that made him the third-leading scorer in the league. If he is to miss a game during the Finals series against an equally-loaded Ginebra squad, it will be a big problem for TNT. Not only do they need to find a way to offset the inside dominance of a Japeth Aguilar. They will also need to find someone on their team who will fill in the void that Parks will vacate if they hope to level the series at 1-1 come Wednesday. 

Early on in the bubble season in Clark, Ray Parks suffered a calf injury but he was able to play through with it. That was the same injury that got aggravated in Game One of the PBA Finals where he was visibly limping especially in the latter parts. That injury could likely force the current statistical points (SP) race leader to miss Game Two on Wednesday. As of now, TNT has listed Parks as "doubtful" for Game Two but the team is also hopeful that he can be in better shape in time for Friday's Game Three. 

If Parks misses Wednesday's Game Two, Jayson Castro could take Parks' spot in the starting line-up.  Kib Montalbo and Almond Vosotros could play heavier minutes for TNT. If there are players who need to step up in the potential absence of Parks, it's JP Erram and Troy Rosario. 

Castro and company can try their bests to catch up to the guards of Ginebra but against a Japeth Aguilar who finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds in Game One, Erram and Rosario need to work double-time to limit Aguilar on the inside and do more than their combined 18-point performance in the opener. Easier said than done but they will need to do it with an injured Ray Parks to avoid heading into Friday's Game Three while staring at a 0-2 series deficit. 

Photo is from the Manila Bulletin