THE TNT KaTropa have been on a rebuilding process and, with the improvement made on their backcourt, active coaching consultant Mark Dickel looks forward to the resumption of PBA Season 45 with excitement.
After bringing in Bobby Ray Parks and Poy Erram, TNT also tweaked its backcourt with the acquisitions of Simon Enciso, Ed Daquiaog and rookies Kib Montalbo and Val Chauca.
Then there are holdover guards Jayson Castro, RR Pogoy, Ryan Reyes and Almond Vosotros.
From a near MVP season, Castro will surely remain the main man of the KaTropa.
But Dickel is considering the long PBA season (except the current that is interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic), thus, he tapped in backcourt reinforcements to help manage the minutes of Castro, at least in the elims play.
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Castro has been well exposed since his PBA entry in 2008, and his knees have been getting extra battering in his Gilas tenures.
Dickel feels Castro may now need some cut on his playing time, especially at age 33.
"It's a different game in the playoffs and we want to make sure Jayson is 100 percent for the championship run," said Dickel.
TNT has also got boost on the frontcourt on the return of Erram.
Noting they're a much better team now, Parks said he's to unravel a lot more the defensive facet of his game.
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"I'm going for Best Defensive Player of the Year. Yes I said it. Goal set. Now continue to work," the son of the late legendary import Bobby Parks, Sr. posted on Twitter.
The KaTropa hope they work together fine in a bid to improve on their 35-19 overall mark last season.
They're sixth placers in the Philippine Cup with an 8-6 slate that they improved to 16-7 in a runner-up finish behind the San Miguel Beermen in the Commissioner's Cup. They then collected 11 wins against six losses in a third-place windup in the Governors Cup. (SB)
