Nambatac could be at center of TNT’s Grand Slam bid
TNT is on a quest to complete what could only be the PBA’s sixth Grand Slam, and how that hole created by Jayson Castro is filled up when the Tropang Giga 5G open their Philippine Cup bid on Wednesday will more or less tell the story.
That’s the great what if for TNT as it starts the Triple Crown chase against NLEX as the Tropang Giga 5G will be without Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, their do-it-all import who helped them to the Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup championships.
Though Rey Nambatac proved his worth in their Comm’s Cup win over Barangay Ginebra in seven pulsating games, coaching staff and management brought in another sparkplug at the point guard spot in unrestricted free agent Simon Enciso. Just for good measure.
TNT sees action 25 days after that epic conquest of Ginebra, and NLEX coach Jong Uichico would like to have his Road Warriors put TNT’s bid off-track in the 5 p.m. game at Smart Araneta Coluseum, though experience has taught him that it’s easier said than done.
“I’ve experienced that kind of situation, coming off a championship,” the nine-time champion coach Uichico said. “But when you’re a well-oiled machine and you know what needs to be done, you don’t need much practice time because it’s already there. So TNT is TNT”
Team manager Jojo Lastimosa has been vocal about defying the odds of playing without Hollis-Jefferson. Part of his belief is how Nambatac blossomed into a star to even win the PBA Press Corps Finals MVP of the Commissioner’s Cup.
“For a while, Rey was kind of finding his role,” Lastimosa said. “Because the Rey we got was a dynamic, big guard who is not as quick as Jayson but a heady guard who can shoot from the perimeter, can get fouls and get to the basket.
“When he initially came in, he didn’t know his place because Jayson was there,” Lastimosa went on. “But when Jayson went down, I was really surprised at his quick turnaround, which came in the Finals. If Rey was a mediocre player, there’s no way we could have won that series.”
Enciso will be making his homecoming after helping San Miguel Beer to two titles. He was with TNT in 2020 before becoming a Beerman and management hopes he can provide additional help to the team’s strengths which is defense and outside shooting.
“Simon’s a hard worker, and we know that he can hit threes which is really important for us,” Lastimosa said.
Barangay Ginebra also makes its debut Wednesday, looking for redemption in the 7:30 p.m. match with Terrafirma after falling short in both title showdowns to TNT.
Like TNT, Ginebra is also looking to finally be the one celebrating sans its long-time import Justin Brownlee.
