Titan Ultra Giant Risers forward Cade Flores will likely miss the entire PBA Governors’ Cup after sustaining an ACL tear during a Titan Ultra practice.
PBA courtside reporter Belle Gregorio reported the unfortunate development, which will likely keep the 27-year-old sidelined well into next season as well. According to Gregorio, the 11th overall pick of the 2023 PBA Draft will undergo ACL reconstruction this week.
Modest Numbers, Big Impact
Flores played in 10 of Titan Ultra’s 12 games in the last Commissioner’s Cup and averaged 6.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 18.5 minutes. For Season 50, he normed 6.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 19 total games.
Flores first burst onto the scene in Season 48, when he impressed as a rookie for the NorthPort Batang Pier by putting up 9.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists. He has since established himself as one of the PBA’s up-and-coming energy players.
Titan Will Miss Cade Flores’ Energy and Hustle
While neither a big-time scorer nor a playmaker, Flores is nonetheless an integral part of Titan Ultra’s rotation as an undersized but extremely active and energetic forward and inside operator.
Listed at 6-foot-4, Flores scores most of his points receiving drop passes in the dunker’s spot down low, on aggressive drives in pick-and-rolls, and off offensive rebounds. Defensively, he is often assigned to opposing bigs and cleans the glass for the Giant Risers. He is also relied upon heavily to bring activity and intensity on both ends, with his hustle usually giving Titan Ultra a jolt.
Cade Flores is also one of Titan Ultra’s top players overall, and losing him will no doubt be a big blow for a young team trying to work its way up to respectability and establish a winning identity.
