FACING a new PBA landscape upon his return to coaching, Chot Reyes underscores the value of patience and learning anew his system before the TNTTropang Giga gets to turn things around come its campaign in the league's 46th season.
Returning to the pro league after a nine-year absence, Reyes noted how things have been a little bit different the last time he called the shots for the franchise.
And while veteran players like Jayson Castro, Ryan Reyes, and Kelly Williams remain with the team, it's an entirely different TNT roster which the champion coach is going to handle from the one he previously steered to four championships in the past, including three straight Philippine Cup titles.
His situation is compounded even more by the limited individual workouts being done by the 12 teams owing to the strict health protocols being implemented by the league due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Unlike all the other teams na sanay na sa mga coach nila, sanay na sa mga sistema nila, these players that we have right now, they have to re-learn playing around me and with me," said Reyes, who was appointed TNT coach just a month before the 2020 rookie draft.
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"Yun ang magiging problema namin yung kakulangan ng practice. Hopefully we can get better as the season progresses. Hopefully, it's not too late."
Aside from tapping the services of Reyes anew, TNT also did its homework during the off-season.
The team got the likes of Glenn Khobuntin, Dave Marcelo, and Brian Heruela, before convincing former MVP Kelly Williams to come out of retirement and sign a new two-year deal.
Then the Tropang Giga made the bold move of trading for the no. 4 overall pick in last week's draft by giving up guard Simon Enciso, big man David Semerad, and two future draft selections. The team eventually used the right on the fourth pick overall to get the services of highly-touted Fil-Am Mickey Williams.
Reyes said the off-season moves are needed in order for the franchise to be able to compete with title contenders such as Barangay Ginebra, San Miguel Beer, and Magnolia.
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"I like the line up. I like the team as it is constructed dito sa amin," said the former Gilas Pilipinas mentor and only five-time recipient of the PBA Press Corps Baby Dalupan Coach of the Year award.
The loss of third-year guard Ray Parks Jr. is also a big blow to the Tropang Giga's campaign, especially with the 28-year-old son of the late legendary import Bobby Parks having led the team in players' efficiency during the last Philippine Cup bubble, where TnT finished runner-up behind champion Barangay Ginebra.
But Reyes is ready to move forward and take on the challenge.
"In the end, we're just coaches. Our job is to coach our team and to coach the players that we have at our disposal," he said. (RG)
