Depleted TNT Tropang Giga kicks off its campaign in the East Asia Super League Season 2 on Wednesday when it faces Chiba Jets at the Funabashi Arena in Chiba, Japan.
The Tropang Giga will be going to the 6 p.m. game (Manila time) without key players Mikey Williams, Roger Pogoy, Poy Erram and Calvin Oftana.
Both Pogoy and Erram are both dealing with health conditions, Williams is still in the United States on an extended vacation, while Oftana has been given a well-deserved rest after spending time with Gilas Pilipinas that won the 19th Asian Games gold medal for the first time in more than six decades.
Still, coach Jojo Lastimosa is upbeat about the team’s chances against the B. League runner-up team owing to the presence of imports Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Quincy Miller, who are both former National Basketball Association players.
Hollis-Jefferson steered TNT to the Governors’ Cup championship last season where he was adjudged Best Import. He was also fresh from his stint with Jordan as a naturalized player where he finished with a silver medal in the Asiad behind Gilas.
Miller previously suited up for Converge during the Commissioner’s Cup.
And then there’s still veterans Jayson Castro, Kelly Williams, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Carl Bryan Cruz, newly-acquired Jewel Ponferada, among others.
“I still have Rondae, Quincy, Jayson, Kelly, and the rest,” said Lastimosa, whose team arrived in Japan on Monday noon.
“We will fight as hard.”
The Jets are reinforced by Justyn Mutts and DJ Stephens and feature former San Miguel Beer import and Japanese naturalized player Ira Brown.
TNT is looking to bounce back from its sorry campaign in the regional meet last season when it bowed to eventual runner-up Seoul SK Knights and Utsunomiya Brex.
The Tropang Giga were reinforced by Jalen Hudson and Daniel Ochefu back then.
