THE TNT Tropang 5G have done an excellent job despite their manpower problems and now stand to receive one big boost if the league smiles on them.
In the meantime, the Tropa intend to continue what they have been doing, which is to keep on winning starting with the match against the floundering NorthPort Batang Pier Friday in the PBA Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
A fifth straight win by TNT would jack its record to 5-3 and move it up into fifth, a very likely scenario considering NorthPort is on the skids after having lost six straight against a lone win and has recently undergone changes culminating in William Navarro going to Magnolia.
Calvin Abueva and Jerick Balanza came in, along with a future second round pick, in exchange for Navarro. But it is doubtful whether the two would be able to immediately help lift the Batang Pier from their doldrums.
Also up for a major change is TNT, should the PBA approve a proposed deal involving the rights to Mikey Williams for Converge's Jordan Heading.
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Heading is sure to be a welcome addition for the Tropa, who have already lost veteran playmaker Jayson Castro prior to the conference and, more recently, chief substitute Rey Nambatac also due to a season-ending injury.
The PBA has yet act on the trade proposal and Heading still awaits medical clearance to finally see action due to back spasms, but TNT is certainly ready to make do with the short lineup that worked for it in its streak that was capped by a 111-103 win over Rain or Shine last May 21.
"Our approach is just to make sure to get better every game and to do that we have to make sure we get good practices," said Tropa coach Chot Reyes following the Elasto Painters game.
"That's the only way we can compete, eh. With our lack of manpower, we don't have the depth and the talent of the other teams so we have to be connected so that the sum of our parts become greater than the whole and I think that's the only way we can compete," added Reyes.
"We just have to accept who we have and make do with the cards we're dealt with."
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Additional motivation for TNT is the fact that after the game against NorthPort and another struggling team in Blackwater on June 6, the Tropa are set to take on powerhouse Barangay Ginebra on June 8 and Magnolia on June 13.
Main reason Reyes and his charges refuse to dwell on how long they could keep up their streak. "We'll take this as long as we can," he said.
"But, you know, we're facing the heavier half of our schedule now, these next few games, so we're not thinking about that." (NC)
