Star players and great coaching are the hallmarks of championship teams, but there’s another distinct trait that comes with winning: a next-man-up mentality. Injuries are an unfortunate part of basketball, and in sports in general, but we’ve seen players and teams overcome adversities of that nature in order to succeed.
It hasn’t been the best of starts for the Meralco Bolts in the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup, as they won their opening assignment against the Magnolia Hotshots but suffered a blowout loss to the TNT Tropang Giga. Adding insult to injury (no pun intended) was what the latter also cost the Bolts going forward.
Newsome was the Finals MVP in the 2024 Honda PBA Philippine Cup, so his production and leadership will be sorely missed. However, he won’t be the only one Meralco will feel the loss of as Raymond Almazan (back spasms) and Aaron Black (right meniscus) have also been sidelined. Losing Black was tough, especially as he had just recovered from a right ACL injury from the last conference.
The likes of Bong Quinto and Chris Banchero have stepped up, but a rookie has also picked up the slack.
CJ Cansino had a storied career in the UAAP with the UST Growling Tigers and the UP Fighting Maroons, but he’s been on both ends of the injury aspect of the game as well. He’s suffered two major knee injuries and has had teammates who have experienced one of the unfortunate parts of basketball. With the latter, he has had to step up and that was what we saw again when the Bolts took on the Terrafirma Dyip.
Cansino was the spark Merlaco needed off the bench, knocking down four 3-pointers and finishing with 16 points in the Bolts’ 107-91 victory over the Dyip. Meralco raced to a big lead from the jump thanks to the starters, but the 24-year old rookie helped sustain the gap in the moments Terrafirma threatened with some timely baskets.
It’s a given that Cansino will earn more reps with his performance against the Dyip, but beyond that, he gives the Bolts another playmaker when they themselves already have a roster with a handful of guys who can create for themselves and their teammates. We may not see Cansino produce as much every night, but he did show head coach Luigi Trillo and active consultant Nenad Vučinić what he is capable of right now. Look for Trillo and Vučinić to find ways to deploy him now and even when Meralco is at full strength. Going forward, though, the hope is that Cansino can avoid any major injuries that could derail his momentum.
The Meralco Bolts are fresh off their championship run in the 2024 Honda PBA Philippine Cup, but the same can’t be said for their roster’s health thus far in the 2024 PBA Governors’ Cup. Thankfully, CJ Cansino has stepped up this early in the season, because the Bolts now have a player they could rely on when the challenges get tougher from here on out.
