Dí‰Jí€ VU for TNT?
Barring any last-minute change of heart, that seems to be the case for the Tropang Giga when they open their bid in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup–they have to make do without Fil-Am gunner Mikey Williams.
TNT and the former Rookie of the Year winner remained locked in an impasse less than two weeks before the season-opening tourney kicks off on Nov. 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Tropang Giga team governor and pro league chairman Ricky Vargas said the 6-foot-2 guard is still in the United States amid contract negotiations.
“Well, Mikey is still on vacation,” Vargas said. “Ayaw niya pang umuwi. So, what can we do?
“That’s why he’s not in the line-up. He’s not back yet. Iyon lang ang masasabi ko,” he added.
Williams, 31, missed TNT’s first five games in last year’s Philippine Cup after trying to strike a new deal with management before eventually signing a three-year contract extension.
The charges of coach Jojo Lastimosa will also be without guard Roger Pogoy due to a rare heart condition, while big men JP Erram (knee) and Justin Chua (ACL) are still recovering from injuries.
The flagship franchise of the MVP group is working hard to prepare for the new season, according to Vargas.
“The team is still practicing. It’s still not fit,” Vargas said. “Iyon ang difficulty. That’s the thing.”
Williams bagged his second finals MVP award after leading the Tropang Giga to a 4-2 series win over Ginebra in the season-ending Governors’ Cup last April punctuated by a 38-point performance in the clincher.
One player that Vargas is counting on to deliver for TNT is forward Calvin Oftana, whose stint with Gilas Pilipinas in the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games should work wonders for him.
“He (Oftana) has gained a lot of experience in the Asian Games. My only worry is, he might love Alfrancis Chua more,” Vargas said in jest.
With Governors’ Cup best import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson set to bolster the Tropang Giga’s campaign, Vargas is convinced they still have what it takes.
“We will be there, we will compete, hopefully by the time the PBA opens, we’re ready to go,” he said. “We are confident with or without our star players in the team.”
The new cage wars in Asia’s first play-for-pay league opens shop with the 47th Season Leo Awards taking place before the formal opening ceremony and followed by the TNT-Magnolia showdown.
The highly anticipated clash pitting defending champion Ginebra and the Tropang Giga will highlight the Dec. 25 double-header that also features a showdown between San Miguel Beer and Phoenix, still at the Big Dome.
