Before returning to the field for the Governors’ Cup finals of the 2023 PBA, two injured players are being cautious.

Even though their recuperation is going well, Barangay Ginebra’s Japeth Aguilar and TNT’s Kelly Williams vowed they would not rush their return to the court.

Williams has missed the last four games due to a calf ailment, while Aguilar has only appeared in two games this conference before suffering an MCL injury.

Williams, who attended the pre-finals press conference, said he has no set return date.

Williams, who missed the complete semifinal series against Meralco due to the ailment, remarked he was injured but now feeling better. 

He wants to play in Game One, of course. But they are moving slowly in the hopes that the team doctor and physical therapist will ensure that Williams come in sensibly since, historically, his stubbornness would force him to go all-out and attempt to perform at 100 percent when his body is not capable of doing so.

Williams and the 36-year-old Aguilar share the same mentality.

Tim Cone, the head coach of Ginebra, reaffirmed that he is ruling Aguilar out of the championship series, particularly given the extended break before Game One, which is scheduled for Easter Sunday.

Coach Time Cone said, in the case of Japeth, they do not know yet as has not yet returned to practice in full. They are just taking each day as it comes. Hopefully, he can advance in little steps, but only he will know when he is prepared to play. 

Cone asserted that with the 10-day gap, there is a better chance he would return.

Previously, the Gin Kings lost one important player when Barangay Ginebra defeated NLEX in Game 1 due to the calf injury sustained by big man Japeth Aguilar.

After the conclusion of the Kings’ 95-86 victory against the Road Warriors to begin their PBA Governors Cup semifinal series at the MOA Arena, Coach Tim Cone reported the 6-foot-9 Aguilar had suffered an injury.

Before going to the bench, Aguilar finished with four points and five rebounds. He continued to play for a brief while in the third quarter before leaving the game permanently at the 10:43 mark with Ginebra down at 47-46.

The Tropang Giga beat the Meralco Bolts, who later eliminated Magnolia, to advance to the semifinals, but Williams will miss the remainder of the series with a potentially season-ending calf injury.

Williams had to be assisted to the dugout after suffering a serious fall in the last minutes of the first quarter of the team’s 132-105 thrashing of Phoenix at Araneta Coliseum.