On Friday, TNT Tropang 5G’s new recruits, Kevin Ferrer and Jio Jalalon, provided a spark off the TNT bench to help lead the Tropa to a 93-78 victory over the Phoenix Fuel Masters to open its PBA Season 50 campaign with a W. Ferrer, the former UST Tiger, scattered 12 points on four triples, while the one-time Arellano Chief added 4 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.
But more than the numbers, it was Ferrer and Jalalon seemingly fitting in seamlessly with the rest of the Tropa that caught the eye of coach Chot Reyes, who lauded the two veterans for playing their roles to near perfection.
“Ang laki ng tulong nila. Ang importante is they played the role that we had in mind for them,” Reyes pointed out to reporters after TNT’s dominant win against Phoenix. “Kevin is a tough defender, hindi mo rin siya pwedeng iwan sa labas kasi makapal rin mukha nun, tira rin ng tira ‘yun. That’s important in our scheme of things. Si Jio naman, ‘yun ang wala kami, ‘yung manggugulo sa bola, somebody who’s gonna put a lot of pressure on both sides of the ball, kasi pag opensa naman, madiin rin siya umatake. That’s really what I had in mind kaya naman na-pick up ‘yung dalawang ‘yun.”
More to Come for Ferrer and Jalalon in TNT
Reyes’ assessment is, as always, spot-on and should be music to the ears of TNT nation. What’s even more encouraging for the Tropa and its fans is that they can expect more of the same from Ferrer and Jalalon, especially when Reyes and his staff get the new recruits fully up to speed with the TNT way.
“Hopefully, they can continue to learn our way of doing things. We’re looking to get them more into the flow of our offense and defense,” Reyes added.
That adjustment might not be too hard, as Ferrer and Jalalon mostly looked right at home against Phoenix already. Learning TNT’s defense, in particular, shouldn’t be a problem for the two veterans, who are among the league’s best on that side of the ball. The offense might be a steeper learning curve, though all Ferrer will have to do is find his spots and let it fly. Jalalon, meanwhile, can freestyle and play-make to his heart’s desire.
Whatever the case may be, TNT getting Ferrer and Jalalon even more comfortable is definitely bad news for the rest of the league.
