Bol Bol and the TNT Tropang 5G are rolling, and it’s got a lot to do with the lithe big man from South Sudan starting to trust his teammates more—a lot more.
Against the Meralco Bolts in Game 1 of their PBA Commissioner’s Cup semis showdown, Bol had what he described as one of his “better games.” But it wasn’t just because he fired his usual 37 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and swatted away 6 shots. It was also because he dished out a season-high 8 assists in the Tropa’s 94-89 victory.
Bol Bol Trusting the Tropa
It’s probably no coincidence that TNT has won its last three games—two against the NLEX Road Warriors and Game 1 against the Bolts. In all three, Bol Bol has played like the super import that he is. Equally important, the locals have stepped up, too, with RR Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, and Jayson Castro leading the way. Even Jordan Heading broke out of his conference slump in the semis opener.
Bol has been at the center of it all, in part because he’s finally allowing Oftana and company to do their thing. Those 8 assists on Wednesday proved as much.
“Today [Game 1] is probably one of my better games since I had 8 assists,” Bol said in an interview with TNT’s official social media page. “Starting since the last three games, I’ve been trying to get my team involved. Because we’re a lot better team when we’re passing the ball and everybody’s involved.”
It took all of the eliminations for Bol to figure things out, it appears. But now, he’s seeing how tough TNT can be when there’s synergy between him and the locals, particularly on offense.
“If I’m scoring, that’s whatever, but if everybody gets involved, then we’re kind of hard to beat,” Bol added.
Seeds Planted Long Ago
It turns out the seeds of this transformation were planted well before the start of the playoffs, with Bol referencing a team meeting that seemingly cleared the air and gave direction for everyone.
“I think it was the game before we played Ginebra. We just sat down before practice for an hour,” Bol recalled of the heart-to-heart he, his teammates, and the coaching staff had. “We just had a heartfelt talk between me and the team and all the coaches. I think that’s made our bond a lot stronger. That’s why we’ve been on a roll the last couple games.”
The Tropa are rolling, indeed. And Bol Bol is driving it—by trusting his team more.
