New moniker, new threads, and a new player. But the goal remains the same: Win a championship.
And should the TNT Tropang 5G (formerly Tropang Giga) accomplish something they’ve already achieved twice in Season 49, they will join rarefied air. Yes, one more championship and TNT will be only the fifth franchise in PBA history to win the coveted Grand Slam, joining the Crispa Redmanizers, San Miguel Beermen, Alaska Milkmen, and San Mig Super Coffee Mixers.
That’s the mission Chot Reyes and his wards will set out to complete starting tomorrow when they take on the NLEX Road Warriors in their PBA Philippine Cup debut. It’s also a mission that comes with tremendous pressure, according to the 10-time champion coach.
“I guess it couldn’t be avoided at this point, and I hope this is the last time you ask me about it. But I acknowledge that fact now. There’s going to be tremendous pressure on us; there’s going to be a huge target on our backs. Eleven other teams are going to do their darn best to stop us,” Reyes told reporters after TNT scored its second title of Season 49 in the final game of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Lack of ‘Best Talent’ and Bench Depth Could Derail the TNT Grand Slam Bid
Indeed, teams will be going all-out to stop the TNT Grand Slam bid. On top of the list are the Meralco Bolts, the defending champion of the Philippine Cup, followed by the San Miguel Beermen, who have ruled this conference six times already. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel are looking to keep the Tropang 5G from making history as well, as are the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and Converge FiberXers.
Aside from aiming to stop the TNT Grand Slam bid, these teams have another thing in common: They’re very talented and have deep benches— a luxury the Tropang 5G appear to not have, especially with Jayson Castro sidelined and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser still working his way back. Their new addition, Simon Enciso, is a backup point guard at best and is not necessarily move the Grand Slam needled towards TNT.
Reyes knows this all too well but isn’t fazed—not one bit.
“As you can see, we don’t really have the best talent, we don’t have the deepest bench, but there’s something in our players: They just refuse to quit. That’s what we’re going to bring into the next conference,” Reyes said.
That refuse-to-quit mentality has won for the Tropang 5G two titles already. Whether it’s enough to win them the coveted treble is another matter.
But believe TNT will go all-out to complete this grand mission.
