CHICAGO - Their grand slam bid foiled last July, the TNT Tropang 5G begin another quest for a Triple Crown when the PBA's Season 50 unfolds this coming October.
Although Jayson Castro will remain out for at least another conference while he continues to recover from a patellar tendon injury, his understudy Rey Nambatac is back "fully healthy and practicing," a team source told me on Monday morning.
Life without Castro won't be a 'blur" for TNT, a challenge that has been exacerbated by that "huge hole in the middle" caused by the absence of Poy Erram due to a torn ACL.
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With their resident big out for at least a year following surgery in July, there is concern, bordering on panic, on how to navigate another Philippine Cup conference where San Miguel and eight-time league MVP June Mar Fajardo are the formidable defending champions.
There's no clear answer. However, there is a wish list with a familiar name on top.
ELUSIVE TARGET.
TNT is highly interested, if not obsessed, with C-Stan, I am told. But despite months of looking for him with the fervor of a captain Ahab stalking Moby Dick, the Tropang 5G can't find the 6-foot-8, 220-lb Fil-German.
And even if they do find him, prying C-Stan's rights from Terrafirma, where he retired after being traded from Ginebra last July 2024, will be complex and potentially costly.
The idea of C-Stan bringing his brute force to the telecommunications giant is exhilarating given his stout credentials that include four PBA championships. two Best Player of the Conference awards and one Finals MVP plum.
There's a two-word term that best describes C-Stan - star attraction.
But if the 36-year-old can't be had, a source said TNT has a Plan B: Justin Chua.
The former Ateneo Blue Eagle played for TNT in 2017 and is currently languishing at Blackwater where he averaged 3.4 points and 1.9 rebounds last conference.
WANTED: HELP.
At 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, Chua can help mitigate what is expected to be some size and power vacuum in TNT's inside game and rebounding. It would be a bonus if Justin can recreate some of the magic he weaved in the UAAP.
By the time the Tropang 5G reached Game Seven of the PBA Philippine Cup five weeks ago, their stars - Roger Pogoy and Calvin Oftana - and support cast were walking dead, worn down by injuries and enemy assault.
The team plans to strengthen the roster and will pursue Kevin Ferrer, a 6-foot-5, 200-lb forward who can score and defend. The 32-year old former UST Growling Tiger averaged 10.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists with the aimless Dyip last conference.
What a jackpot this will be for Ferrer. Not only does he get to escape a franchise that has the same sense of direction as a rudderless ship, he gets to play for a rich winning team steeped in tradition.
It's going to be tough for TNT to pull off these manpower moves. but then again, so is winning a grand slam.
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