There’s no denying it: TNT Tropang 5G import Bol Bol is a walking mismatch.
But, believe it or not, there’s also a tradeoff to it. In TNT’s case, it’s taking away touches for the locals, causing a dip in their production. That much was most evident in the Tropa’s 99-94 win over the Blackwater Bossing on Tuesday, where Bol Bol scored nearly half—48—of TNT’s 99 total points.
“This was our most lopsided game in terms of scoring balance. We talked about it. It’s a fine balance between going to your advantage and still spreading the wealth around,” TNT coach Chot Reyes pointed out. “The problem is it doesn’t matter who’s guarding Bol. It’s always an advantage. If they put a big guy on him, he can use his quickness to drive.”
TNT Locals Must Make Most of What’s Available
With Bol Bol on board, the Tropa have arguably the most potent offensive weapon in the PBA today. So, expect the South Sudanese big man to get a lot of shots, or somewhere in the vicinity of the 22 shot attempts he’s averaging so far—of which he’s making more than half.
That leaves the locals with the rest, and Reyes wants them ready just the same, even if they aren’t getting the touches and shots they’ve been used to having.
“The key is for the locals to just be ready and make shots with fewer touches. Guys like Calvin [Oftana], Roger [Pogoy], Jason [Castro], and even Glenn [Khobuntin], they’re used to making shots when they have a lot of touches. Now that they have fewer touches, they have to learn how to make those open looks.”
On Tuesday, TNT’s big guns—Oftana, Pogoy, Castro, and Rey Nambatac—went only 12-for-31 to illustrate Reyes’s point. The entire Tropa, save for Bol Bol, meanwhile, made just 20 of 52 attempts for a measly 38% clip. Bol, on the other hand, was an efficient 15-for-24 as he got off any and every shot he wanted.
So far, this imbalance hasn’t been a huge problem as TNT is 4-2. Even so, it could be a major issue once the playoffs come.
