The TNT Tropang 5G are the defending champions of the PBA Governors’ Cup. However, quite a lot of pundits dismissed their chances of repeating, in part because of the unavailability of resident reinforcement Rondae Hollis‑Jefferson and the team’s injury woes to start the conference.
True enough, TNT stumbled to open the Governors’ Cup, winning its debut against the Macau Giant Pandas before losing back‑to‑back to the Titan Ultra Giant Risers and the Terrafirma Dyip. The Tropa’s next five games were a mixed bag, and yet when the league resumes action after its extended break, TNT will be a team to keep a close eye on.
Where Does TNT Stand at the Moment
TNT at the moment is 4‑4 and is in a precarious situation: in fourth place and just one game ahead of fifth‑running Terrafirma. Worse, the Tropa lost two of their last three games heading into the long break after back‑to‑back big wins against the Converge FiberXers (on a Rey Nambatac game‑winner) and San Miguel Beermen.
Put simply, the Tropa have been uneven all conference long, with notable wins against contenders but bad losses against perennial also‑rans like Terrafirma and Titan Ultra. Then again, TNT has been in this exact same situation, finishing eighth in the Commissioner’s Cup before embarking on a magical run to the PBA Finals that ended in heartbreak simply because Justin Brownlee refused to let Barangay Ginebra San Miguel lose.
What to Watch Out for When TNT Returns
TNT’s championship DNA is stingy, unforgiving defense, and the Tropa has shown it in spurts this conference. But that defense, as a whole, hasn’t been quite up to par for Tropang 5G. Before the break, the Tropa were fifth in points allowed at 99.9 points per game, tenth in opponent field goal percentage at 46.3%, and tenth in opponent three‑point percentage at 35.2%. They are, however, second in turnovers forced at 16.1 an outing.
In short, the Tropang 5G’s defense has been good this conference. It just isn’t great—and that’s not TNT basketball. Part of it is due to injuries to key players, and another part is due to RHJ’s absence as his versatility is one of the driving forces of TNT’s championship defense. Regardless, this is a team that’s perfectly capable of turning things up on that side of the ball, and don’t be surprised if they do when action resumes this October.
Locals to Keep an Eye On
Guard Rey Nambatac appears to have regained much of the form that made him a PBA Finals MVP last year, so it’s a given that all eyes should be on him. For the conference, StingRey has been averaging 19.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists as the Tropa’s chief playmaker, and he will surely look to continue that fine play in the league’s return.
Nambatac can also expect defenses to loosen up a bit with the return of superstar wing Calvin Oftana, who missed the Tropa’s first eight games this Governors’ Cup as he recovered from injuries. But, as he showed in the Asian Games as Gilas Pilipinas’ last call‑up, he is fully healthy and ready to go. That should be great news for the Tropang 5G—and bad news for the rest of the league.
Outlook
In the Commissioner’s Cup, TNT came from the bottom to nearly finish on top when all was said and done. This conference is starting to have that same kind of vibe, with the Tropa seemingly ready for a big run once action resumes. Of course, that could depend on how new import Nick Hornsby plays in his first PBA tour of duty and how the locals turn it up for the stretch run.
That being said, the Tropa are perfectly capable of turning things around all the way to another finals appearance—even if they finish as either the third or fourth seed in Group A. What’s more encouraging, an RHJ return isn’t out of the equation yet as the three-time champion is fast getting back on track.
