TNT Tropang 5G’s new import, Nick Hornsby , is 2-0 in his PBA career after he helped the Tropa blow out the San Miguel Beermen, 116-98, on Saturday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. And, postgame, he earned some high praise from TNT coach Chot Reyes.
“Pag titignan mo si Nick, he’s a very unimpressive player. Kung tumira, mas maganda pa ‘yung porma mo dun pag tumira e,” Reyes joked about TNT’s third import in this PBA Governors’ Cup after original choice Darius Days and Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson.
Turning serious, the multititled coach then went into detail why Hornsby has fit in seamlessly with the Tropa. “We knew that coming in—that he’s not really an outside shooter, a three-point shooter. But we like his playmaking ability. And the players like playing with him. He’s able to deliver the passes when it matters. And I think that’s a big part of how well we’ve shot the ball the last two games.”
That playmaking allowed Hornsby to score a team-high 23 points while also dishing out 4 assists. And when he wasn’t scoring directly or issuing out assists, he was moving the ball around, serving as a connector in what looks like a fluid, well-running TNT offense so far. In Hornsby’s debut in a win over the Terrafirma Dyip, he went off for 26 markers and had 6 dimes.
Hornsby’s Defense Gets Reyes’s Approval
More than his playmaking, Hornsby is earning his stripes with TNT for his defense, which has been surprisingly good without being loud at all. Rather than getting highlight-reel defensive stops, the 6-foot-6 wing plays smart, positional defense, makes excellent reads on close-outs, and has great hands for deflections and steals.
“That’s number one [playmaking]. And number two, he’s a very deceptive defender. You think he’s just like that, but he’s very smart. He has a very high basketball IQ. And the other players just feed off of that,” Reyes stressed.
The numbers back Reyes up in this assessment. In two games, Hornsby has recorded 8 steals already—5 against Terrafirma, 3 versus San Miguel—as he has anchored a TNT defense still missing usual lynchpins Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Poy Erram.
Needless to say, it’s been all good so far for Nick Hornsby and TNT. Now, whether or not this great start is enough for him to finish the conference is a discussion for another day.
