Aging Tropang Giga tweak roster

TNT takes a leap of faith with offseason changes in the hopes of retaining the Philippine Basketball Association Governors’ Cup title following a couple of early playoff exits last season.

Head coach Chot Reyes bared that the Tropang Giga have invested in bringing in fresh talents to rejuvenate his squad which he referred to as one of the oldest teams in the league today.

Undrafted guard Jielo Razon and unsigned San Miguel Beer first round draft pick Avan Nava have been actively pursuing spots in the TNT roster for the season-opening conference unwrapping on 18 August.

“I think it’s time… if I’m not mistaken we are the oldest team if not one of the oldest teams in the league,” Reyes said.

“I think now is the time to make some changes. But still with the end in view of continuing to win. Of course, that’s the expectation by the management (for us) to still be competitive.”

Actually, TNT plucked a youngblood in the loaded Draft class with third round pick Jared Brown at No. 31, however, the Ateneo de Manila University product suffered a broken nose in practice and had to go back to the United States.

“He’s not gonna be under contract for now, at least for the opening (conference). Whatever the future holds is up in the air depending on how his healing goes. And of course, the other developments within our team,” Reyes said.

“We’re able to bring in an undrafted guy Jielo Razon and we’re very happy with Jielo’s performance so that gives us an extra option in our point guard spot.”

Nava, meanwhile, was curiously released by the Beermen despite being selected 12th overall.

Shoring up the backcourt spot has been one of TNT’s main priorities in its buildup for the return of the tournament, which was scratched off the league’s calendar last season to give way to the country’s hosting of the FIBA World Cup and other international competitions including the Asian Games.

RR Pogoy has been consistent but needs consistent support as grizzled veterans Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes aren’t getting any younger, the main reason why the Tropang Giga acquired Rey Nambatac from Blackwater in exchange for Kib Montalbo, Jewel Ponferada and a future second pick.

“I think what we saw when we lost to Rain or Shine in the quarterfinals really was that we missed Jayson because he got injured. So, in Game 3 we essentially had no point guard. Kib Montalbo and Brian Huruela tried their best but without a legit guard of the caliber of Jayson, you saw the result, we lost. That’s why we felt that the point guard position is one position we have to shore up which was never in our plans because we had a guy named Mikey Williams all along,” Reyes said.

“When we built this team, it was built to have a perfect complement of Jayson and Mikey Williams and Kib Montalbo and Brian Huruela were perfect backups. But losing Mikey Williams drastically changes that equation that’s why we made changes. I think Rey Nambatac fits our team very well, he fits the style we want to play. His demeanor, his personality and his temperament fit very well with us.”

TNT also has decided to tap 24-year-old former Houston Rockets player Darius Days as reinforcement in place of original choice Rondae Hollis Jefferson, who carried the team into the throne in six games over fancied Justin Brownlee-led Barangay Ginebra San Miguel last year.

Reyes added that elder statesman Kelly Williams will rejoin the team after getting a much-deserved rest while big man Poy Erram is expected to suit up after a long layoff following his knee surgery.

TNT is bunched in Pool A with Converge, Magnolia, Philippine Cup champion Meralco, NorthPort and Terrafirma.