Castro says TNT’s young players will learn a lot from finals loss

TNT KaTropa. Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

TNT lost the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals but Jayson Castro believes that his team learned a lot from its clash with a powerhouse squad like San Miguel.

“We had a lot of young guys in this team. We only have five remaining from the old core that we had, so the finals was a great learning experience for us all,” Castro said in Filipino.

Through the course of the six-game championship series, the KaTropa drew huge contributions from their upstarts like Roger Pogoy, RR Garcia, and Troy Rosario — all of whom have carved their niche in coach Nash Racela’s system.

Castro had high praise for Pogoy, who emerged as a vital piece for TNT this conference.

And though losing in the Finals stings, Castro thinks these kinds of experiences could only help their young guns grow.

“This conference, I’m happy with their performance. Like with Pogoy, I tell it to him to stay confident. Even though we lost, it’s a huge boost for him to play in the finals and it will only be huge for us for the next conference. I hope they bring the lessons they get from this when we make it again in the Finals,” he said.

Pogoy heard Castro’s message loud and clear, and if there’s one thing he could take away from this bitter memory, it’s that just like in any level of basketball competition, championships could only be achieved through teamwork.

“We can’t win it if we think of ourselves individually. Just like what San Miguel did, we have to share the ball and work as a team,” he said.