By REYNALD MAGALLON
TNT head coach Chot Reyes is glad to have extra days of rest for his team before another expected grueling series in the semifinals but is also wary of the possibility that the Tropang Giga might lose their competitive edge during the break.
Reyes stressed that the team must strike the perfect balance between keeping their rhythm and having their bodies recover, especially with the semis opener not coming until Wednesday next week.
“Any chance that we get to rest and recover, especially at this stage, is crucial. I think it’s very, very important. It certainly will be valuable but it will only be valuable if we make good use of it,” said Reyes.
“There will always be a give and take in resting and being fresh and just losing your edge so we have to have a real good determination of the quality of our preparation and practices in the next few days,” he added.
Reyes’ concern was understandable considering TNT seems to be peaking at the right time especially on the offensive end and the long layoff might disrupt the team’s rhythm.
Although finishing atop the Group A during the eliminations, TNT largely depended on its defense while its offense was certainly far from its best form.
In the last two games in the quarterfinals against the Road Warriors, Calvin Oftana, RR Pogoy and even Rey Nambatac, Kim Aurin and Glenn Khobuntin were clicking from deep.
“I think in the quarterfinals, we finally hit some shots. If you notice in our field goal percentages in the elimination round we were all low, two points, three points,everything,” Reyes pointed out.
“All of our discussions in the quarterfinals on offense is to take good shots. Which means we are shooting and not turning the ball over. And the more good shots we take I think the more chances we are of making them,” he added.
Although Reyes stressed that their league-leading defense will still be the name of the game for them against either Rain or Shine or Magnolia in the semifinals, having a more fluid offense that revolves around import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and the shooters around him, would be a huge help.
“That would go a long way in helping you win the ball game,” he added.
