THOUGH it wasn’t able to have the right start it wanted in its initial assignment, the TNT KaTropa has shown significant improvements in the 2017-18 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup.
Based on their last outing, the Tropang Texters showed that they can still be considered a contender as they took down Alaska, 106-98, with force right before the calendar turned last weekend.
“It was hard to get into the win column always. Getting that first win is never easy and for a start, it was nice that we have one going to our games this 2018 since we have a tough game ahead,” said TNT KaTropa coach Nash Racela, whose Texters will face three-time defending champion San Miguel Beer next.
The second year coach was also glad to see the improvements of his team from its first-game loss to Rain or Shine to its convincing win against the Aces.
“What’s good for us now is that we continue to develop and improve this early in the tournament. I can see that over the course of two games. Sustaining that will be the key for us,” said Racela.
Moreover, the signs are good for TNT KaTropa looking ahead as two of its cornerstones have showed glimpses that that they can finally take over the team upfront with longtime reliable Ranidel De Ocampo long gone.
In that first win against the Aces, Mo Tautuaa and Troy Rosario, the top two picks in the 2015 Draft, shone and gave the Texters the lift they needed.
Rosario and Tautuaa, who scored 19 and 18 points, respectively, against Alaska, are now TNT’s bread and butter down low and they are slowly but surely muscling their way to fill in the huge void left by De Ocampo, who was traded last Governors’ Cup to Meralco.