The TNT Tropang Giga will start their campaign this season without their resident import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as Darius Days, who previously played for the Houston Rockets, will temporary take over his spot.
But that doesn’t necessary mean the Tropang Giga are closing the possibilities of bringing back Hollis-Jefferson, who led the squad to a championship run in the PBA Governors’ Cup two seasons ago.
“Anything is possible,” wrote TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa in a Viber message to Pinoystep.com.
Hollis-Jefferson is currently under contract playing in Puerto Rico, but the Tropang Giga still hold his playing rights and he won’t be able to play for another team in case he becomes available to return.
For the time being, Days, listed 6-foot-7, who spent a season playing for the Rockets, will try to hold the fort for the Tropang Giga.
Although he plays bigger for his size, Days is more of a perimeter player, according to Lastimosa, but his built will be enough for him to cover the shaded area.
“He plays big, but more of an outside threat,” added Lastimosa. “It remains to be seen how he performs as he needs to fit in to our style of play.”
Normally a relatively smaller team, TNT has been banking on Hollis-Jefferson to provide that inside-out presence for the team the previous years and with the resident import not available to play for the Tropang Giga, the squad will need to utilize Gilas Pilipinas player Calvin Oftana in playing the power forward spot more often.
“It’s always an option,” Lastimosa responded when asked about Oftana playing the power forward spot more.
TNT is also set to welcome back another old reliable anytime soon — former Most Valuable Player Kelly Williams.
At 42, Williams is one of the league’s elder statesmen when the league kicks off the new season this August.
