PLAYERS may not be in their best shape and sharpest form because of long idleness, but fierce encounters are expected nonetheless if and when the PBA play is able to return by October.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial has gotten a commitment from the players that they will dish out their usual effort when they play before empty seats as they do while playing in front of a crowd.
"Nakausap ko ang mga players. Sabi ko 'eh kung maglalaro tayo, hindi pwedeng parang scrimmage lang. May tao o wala, kailangan maglaro tayo ng husto, yung duma-dive sa bola,' at payag naman sila," said Marcial.
Marcial himself set the calibrated training return of the players, knowing it would take a while before the players get back into game shape.
"Siguradong wala sa kondisyon ngayon 'yang mga yan - not in game shape since they'd long been off the court," said Marcial.
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But in a few weeks, Marcial expects the players to be ready for scrimmages that hopefully lead to Season 45 Philippine Cup resumption before the end of the year.
All the 12 ball clubs are now running their respective non-scrimmage workouts by small batches strictly monitored by the PBA medical committee.
TNT returned to training in a bubble in Calamba, Laguna while the rest of the PBA teams have been sweating it out in their regular gyms.
Barangay Ginebra's Jared Dillinger gave a fitting description of the PBA players' feelings as they finally reassembled for small group practices Tuesday for the first time since March.
"Felt like I was a kid attending first day of school," Dillinger posted on Twitter. (SB)
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