Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson’s 50-point outburst in TNT Tropang Giga’s loss to Rain or Shine a few days ago is portent of things to come, head coach and team manager Jojo Lastimosa said.
A replacement for his injured younger brother Rondae, Rahlir, 32, will showcase more of his talent as he starts to blend with his teammates.
But despite his impressive game, Rahlir and the rest of the Tropang Giga fell short against Rain or Shine, 112-119, on Friday night, but Tropang Giga concurrent team manager and head coach Jojo Lastimosa sees a lot of upside on their new import.
“As he gets more comfortable, he probably will be more efficient and when teams try to double him, I’d expect he will have more assists,” wrote Lastimosa in a Viber message to DAILY TRIBUNE.
“He’s a natural rebounder, so see more all-around game in him. He should be able to guard other post players as well.”
TNT is in deep waters.
The team is currently at eighth spot with a 4-6 win-loss record and needs to win its last elimination-round game against Phoenix Super LPG.
Both teams clash on the final play date of the elimination round on 14 January.
So desperate of a victory is TNT that it even needs to suit up two of its ailing key players — Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy — to enhance its chances.
Castro is still being bothered by tendinitis on his knee and has missed the team’s last two games but still fit enough to suit up.
Pogoy, on the other hand, has been cleared to play despite being diagnosed with a heart condition.
“With Jayson and Roger back even at 50-65 percent, they will still be effective and will have a positive impact on the game. Our chances can only get better in the quarterfinals as long as we improve and get our guys back.”
