Rebuilding the troops

The TNT KaTropa are on rebuilding mode. You think? No doubt about it, more so after they traded away longtime stalwart Ranidel de Ocampo to the Meralco Bolts last Monday. The latest trade involving TNT saw De Ocampo first traded to the Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Master for big man Norbert Torres and a 2017 first-round pick before being shipped to Meralco for Justin Chua and the Bolts’ 2017 first-round pick.

Chua was then traded by Phoenix to TNT for a second-round pick in the 2019 draft.

The RDO trade was the latest move by TNT to rebuild the troops moving forward, with more emphasis seemingly on adding youth.

Previous moves of the KaTropa saw them trading away Larry Fonacier and Matt Ganuelas-Rosser that netted for them guys like Anthony Semerad and RR Garcia.

Reports have it that they are still not done dealing, cooking something that could possibly get them Gilas Pilipinas player Christian Standhardinger in this year’s draft.

But while TNT is rebuilding, I have to commend it for going about it without necessarily sacrificing competitiveness.

I mean, instead of blowing up the entire roster like what others are inclined to do, the KaTropa are doing it step by step with little “aftershock,” if we can call it that.

And they have been successful in doing such, coupled with solid draft moves that got them RR Pogoy this season and previous it, Mo Tautuaa and Troy Rosario.

Semerad and Garcia have been fitting in well under the system of Coach Nash Racela and actually made a good account of themselves in their run for the title last conference before bowing to the San Miguel Beermen.

Torres and Chua, along with the picks the team got from the RDO trade, should also be of help albeit it remains to be seen if they get to stay for long with the KaTropa.

Of course this is not bringing down the value of De Ocampo, Fonacier and Ganuelas-Rosser for we all know how big they were during their stay in TNT, with De Ocampo and Fonacier arguably in the top 10 best players in franchise history.

In light of what TNT wants to accomplish at this stage of its PBA existence though, it has been doing quite well relative to what it has lost and gotten in return, and set to get some more.

If you happened to be a TNT fan, it may take some time to get used to seeing the changes and new faces in the team.

But the prospects are undoubtedly high for your favorite team. So make sure to stay stuck and rally behind your troops.