By JONAS TERRADO
SAN Miguel Beer coach Leo Austria said his team is finding it hard adjusting to the absence of June Mar Fajardo, who has yet to see action in the PBA Governors’ Cup due to an injury on his right shin. Austria admitted that Fajardo’s absence has a huge effect on the Beermen’s play in the season-ending conference, as seen in Sunday’s 110-102 loss to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Injuries have also piled up for the Beermen with Marcio Lassiter nursing an eye infection and import Arizona Reid being forced to be temporarily relieved by former NBA player Kevin Murphy due to an injured ankle.
Murphy joined San Miguel practice for the first time yesterday, hours after arriving from the United States. He will make his debut Sunday when the Beermen battle the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok at the Big Dome.
But missing Fajardo has made the Beermen play a little bit different, Austria described.
“Our patterns are usually centered on June Mar, but that has changed because of his injury,” Austria said.
“We did expect that this would happen but we’re more concern about June Mar making a full recovery,” he added.
The Beermen expect Fajardo to be back late next month, in time for the team’s final two games of the elimination.
