CHICAGO - In the lead-up to their PBA Governor's Cup title defense, one familiar saying best encapsulates the travails of the TNT Tropang Giga.
"Heavy is the head that wears the crown."
With just eight days left before the conference starts, the Tropang Giga are still scrambling for additional manpower and are currently trying out rookie free agent Jielo Razon and San Miguel's unsigned draft pick Avan Nava (Round One, No.12 overall).
While TNT is still auditioning, the rest of the league teams already have set rosters and are diving hard into practices.
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The Tropang Giga 's predicament is one ripple effect of not having early round picks in last month's rookie draft, a desperation that allegedly led to the team reaching out to Converge to offer the rights of Mikey Williams in exchange for the FiberXers' No. 7 and No. 9 picks in Round Two.
The request was met with a polite but unyielding stiff arm as Converge picked Paolo Javilonar at No. 7 and Ben Philips at No. 9.
SIGNINGS APPEAR IMMINENT.
TNT did pick seventh in the third round and took Jared Brown. But the former Ateneo guard's tryout abruptly ended when he sustained what his camp described as a nose "fracture in one oblong bone."
After that hiccup, though, things are looking up.
Per multiple sources, Razon, who "turned heads in training camp" has been signed as a reserve list while Nava is getting "a real hard look and is practicing with us."
Razon checked a lot of boxes as a back-up point guard, I was told, but he got sick after TNT's last tune-up game which is why he isn't on the final roster.
Although Nava had a one season, 36-game stint with the Samsung Thunders of the KBL, there are questions about his polish as a combo guard.
However, it seems like he has acquitted himself well and TNT likes what he brings to the table.
RHJ IS COMING SOON.
"It's a numbers game if we can sign him. I think we should," the source explained.
As promising as Nava is, the biggest development to leak out of the telephone giant's backyard is the impending arrival of their star import.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is flying in.
Previously tied to commitments in Puerto Rico, RHJ is set for a return although it's unclear yet whether he will eventually replace Darius Days.
My guess is he will. I mean, he won't travel across the globe just to visit, right?
In fairness to Days, though, he is a great pickup, one who has "high character and attitude," a person who is familiar with the situation told SPIN.ph.
The variable on the 24-year old is on whether he has the maturity to carry TNT to a successful title defense.
All of a sudden, with help coming from different positions, it isn't so lonely at the top anymore for TNT.
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