TNT head coach Jong Uichico. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Not a lot has gone well for TNT in the offseason.
With four of their core players spending time with the national team, the Tropa have struggled to find their footing as they prepare for the grind in the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup.
TNT was able to save its face, though, trumping Phoenix on Saturday to win its first tune-up game in four outings. If not for imports Michael Madanly and Mario Little, the Tropa would’ve headed into the season-ending conference with a gloomy vibe.
With Madanly and Little flourishing, TNT coach Jong Uichico is content with his reinforcements.
“The good thing with them is they are both team players,” he said.
“(Little) is quick. He’s all around and can do a little bit of everything, but we just need him to rebound more. He’s not a big man, but since si (Jason) Maxiell went over the height limit and we’re in a rush to bring in an import, we have to settle with him,” he said.
“With Madanly, we got him primarily to give us a shooter. He relieves some pressure on our scorers like Jayson (Castro) because he can shoot. He just has to settle down a little bit. He seems like he’s in a hurry, like the Middle East style of game.”
Despite the positives he saw, that still couldn’t stop Uichico from worrying on how his team would look like when the games tip off.
“We haven’t done well with our preseason games. Unfortunately, when the Gilas guys come back, we have no more preseason games,” he said.
As much as Uichico would like to look at TNT’s situation on the bright side, he still knows that the return of Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, Troy Rosario, and Ryan Reyes on Monday wouldn’t immediately turn the fortunes for his squad.
“It’s hard to adjust to one system to the other. Wala namang problema sa system, but Gilas is mentally taxing for them sometimes and it might take time for them to get back to the groove,” he said.
“In a short conference, you have no time to relax, but that’s what we’re dealing with but we’ll just find a way. I hope that we have enough time.”