Chot Reyes has grown more optimistic about TNT’s depth heading into its highly-anticipated PBA Philippine Cup Finals rematch with San Miguel.
The six-time Coach of the Year admitted that Tropang 5G’s offseason moves were primarily for adding pieces to better compete against the Beermen, especially after losing the previous All-Filipino championship in six games.
“If you go into any tournament, you take a look at who’s the big guy on the block,” he said during the pre-Finals presser at Novotel Araneta, Monday.
“There’s no secret that San Miguel, like I said earlier, has dominated this tournament. So, if you want to compete with them, you’d better have the resources. And that’s what guided our buildup in the offseason.”
It could be recalled that TNT signed Jio Jalalon and Kevin Ferrer just before Season 50 commenced. Their arrival gave Reyes reliable options off the bench, due to their familiarity with him during their time together in Gilas.
The 2023 Defensive Player of the Year has since emerged as a solid backup for Rey Nambatac with his elite playmaking and ball-hawking. On the other hand, the sweet-shooting forward has become a key addition to their tall wing position.
But it’s not just solely about matching up with the Beermen. Picking up the former Gilas draftees was also their solution to injury issues, especially during the last two conferences of Season 49.
From losing Jayson Castro to a knee injury during the Commissioner’s Cup, TNT would also lose Rey Nambatac due to groin issues. Poy Erram, Calvin Oftana, Roger Pogoy, and Jordan Heading all went down as well.
“The second was the injuries that we experienced in the last Finals. So, it was a big objective for us to address our depth,” Reyes said.
“And I thought we were able to do that with those additions. So, a combination of really going and looking at San Miguel as the benchmark, at the same time addressing our own issues,” the champion bench tactician added.
The Tropa are still missing Castro, while Pogoy is doubtful to play in the early part of the series at the same time. Still, that doesn’t bother the crew.
“It doesn’t affect our optimism. Because I feel that if we are coming into this series with less than a hundred-percent belief, then we have no chance,” said Reyes, who will coach in his seventh Finals since returning in 2021.
“It starts from there: we have to have the belief that regardless of who’s healthy or not, that we’re going to come out and play our best game. The problem is that even if we bring out our best game, it’s not a guarantee that we will beat a team as strong as San Miguel. But in the end, that’s all we can do,” Reyes continued.
“All we can do is our best. And if that happens to be enough, then so be it.”
#WATCH: WE HAVE TO HAVE THE BELIEF
Chot Reyes stresses that TNT needs to believe that San Miguel is beatable in an all-Filipino setting 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times #PBA50 pic.twitter.com/focui1a6Rj
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) January 19, 2026
