TNT made offseason moves with PBA Philippine Cup champion SMB in mind, Reyes admits

It’s no secret that San Miguel is the gold standard in the PBA Philippine Cup.

That’s why TNT made sure it would build a team that could compete against the defending champion in the weeks leading up to Season 50.

“You go into any tournament, you take a look at who’s the big guy on the block, right? There’s no secret that San Miguel, like I said earlier, has dominated this tournament,” Tropang 5G head coach Chot Reyes said.

“If you want to be able to compete with them, you better have the resources. And that’s what guided our buildup in the offseason.”

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When the two teams squared off in the All-Filipino finale last season, the TNT grappled with injuries to key players like Rey Nambatac, Poy Erram and Jayson Castro.

Even guys like Calvin Oftana, RR Pogoy, and Jordan Heading were not exactly at full strength.

So the Tropang 5G looked at the free agent market and nabbed two players who are great in their roles: Jio Jalalon and Kevin Ferrer.

[RELATED STORY: PBA: Rey Nambatac raring to make difference in TNT-San Miguel Philippine Cup Finals duel]

With the help of the duo, the Manny V. Pangilinan-owned team made it back to the Finals against their tormentors.

“The big objective for us was to address our depth. I thought we're able to do that with those additions,” Reyes said.

“So, the combination of really going and looking at San Miguel as the benchmark and, at the same time, addressing our own issues.”

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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.

He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.