By REYNALD MAGALLON
There’s certainly a lot to contemplate on for TNT head coach Chot Reyes especially after another season of disappointment.
Back in the helm this season after taking a break from basketball after being ridiculed while coaching Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, the veteran mentor found a rather rude welcome from the rest of the field as the Tropang Giga failed to get past the quarterfinals in the Commissioner’s and Philippine Cups.
It was a huge downgrade for the MVP group flagship franchise which seemed to have quickly lost all the glory from its Governor’s Cup championship last season.
All that said, change is looming and seems to be inevitable for TNT. But Reyes is in no rush.
“Not only now but also when we were struggling,” said Reyes when asked whether the coaching staff are already mulling possible moves to improve the team following its heartbreaking 110-109 loss to Rain or Shine in Game 3 of their quarterfinals series.
“For now, we just sit back, evaluate, take a step back and really look at the team and think about what are plans moving forward,” he added.
Overall, the Tropang Giga had a losing record this season, 11-14 in all of their games combined in the two conferences. TNT barely made it to the quarterfinals of the import-laced conference with a 5-6 record at the eighth spot, putting them in a twice-to-win disadvantage against eventual finalist Magnolia.
The team made some adjustments heading into the all-Filipino, plugging the hole inside the paint with the addition of Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Jewel Ponferrada.
The improving efficiency of rookies Kim Aurin and Henry Galinato along with the return to old, deadly form of RR Pogoy allowed the team to finish fourth in the standings with a 6-5 slate.
While they made it to the quarterfinals with a better standing from the last conference, there was still a lot to be desired with TNT’s performance especially after absorbing crucial losses to mid-tier teams like NorthPort, Blackwater and Converge in the eliminations.
The Tropang Giga drew first blood in the best-of-three series against ROS in a rousing fashion but squandered the virtual twice-to-beat advantage after losing two straight.
For Reyes, the quarterfinals collapse just summed up how the conference went for TNT.
“Our record reflects our conference. We couldn’t get to any kind of rhythm. We couldn’t get any kind of consistency and then when we felt like we were going to get in a groove, we lost Brandon Rosser,” said Reyes.
“It’s symbolic of our tournament. So we crashed out, we didn’t make the semis was a reflection of our game, we couldn’t put a consistent game together the entire conference and this is the result,” he added
