It rarely gets talked about, but the TNT Tropang 5G arguably has the best big-man rotation in the PBA today. That’s due in part to the incredible strides made by Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Henry Galinato, whose evolving games give the Tropa four reliable bigs—along with the ageless Kelly Williams and veteran Poy Erram—who each bring something different to the table.
The Ranidel de Ocampo Effect
TNT coach Chot Reyes knows exactly why Galinato and BGR have become dependable pieces in the Tropa’s championship puzzle: They are being guided by Ranidel de Ocampo, who just happens to be one of the all-time great power forwards of the PBA and arguably its first true stretch four.
“If you noticed the development of Henry Galinato, and even the game of Brandon Ganuelas,” Reyes pointed out. “I can attribute that to the daily teachings and mentorship of Ranidel,” Cone told the PBA a day after TNT retired RDO’s fabled No. 33 jersey at halftime of Game 3.
Indeed, Galinato and BGR couldn’t have had better teachers than the many-time Gilas Pilipinas standout, who averaged 12.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in a career that spanned 15 seasons—seven of which were spent with the TNT franchise.
A Veteran Learning from a Fellow Veteran
Galinato and Ganuelas-Rosser aren’t the only ones getting pointers from Ranidel de Ocampo. According to Reyes, the two-time PBA Finals MVP has also been instrumental in molding Kelly Williams into a reliable outside sniper.
While Williams had that shot even earlier in his career, the 43-year-old former MVP has become a stretch big like RDO was in his prime. In TNT’s PBA Philippine Cup semis series against the Meralco Bolts alone, Machine Gun Kelly has gone 9-for-18 from the arc while hitting at least two treys in every game except the series opener. For the season, Williams has hit 33 of his 85 attempts from the three-point line for a more-than-respectable 38.8% shooting clip from distance.
Incidentally, RDO’s career average from three-point range is 35.4%. Needless to say, the Ranidel de Ocampo effect is working wonders, for sure.
