CAN TNT SURVIVE WITHOUT BOL MANUTE BOL?

In Game 2 of their respective semifinal matchups, Ginebra and Meralco evened their series with wins over Rain or Shine and TNT, respectively.

However, the biggest news coming out of the gameday is the unfortunate injury to Bol Manute Bol.

Ugh.

This should have been his redemption from an underwhelming NBA career. Whenever the spotlight was on Bol this conference, he delivered. In 16 games, Bol averaged nearly 36 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks per game. But now, he is expected to miss the remainder of the playoffs with a partial Achilles tear.

Again, this sucks.

The injury is eerily similar to what happened during his lone NCAA season with the Oregon Ducks, when a left foot injury prevented him from participating in the 2018-19 NCAA Tournament. Not only did he miss the chance to lead his school into March Madness, but it also ruined his draft stock.

From being projected as a lottery pick, he eventually fell to the 44th selection in the 2019 NBA Draft. Bol went behind lottery picks Jarrett Culver and Romeo Langford, as well as mid-first-round selections Sekou Doumbouya, Chuma Okeke, and Luka Šamanić — three big men whose NBA careers turned out far less productive than his.

For a player of Bol’s size, leg injuries are certified career-shorteners. It happened to Ralph Sampson, and it also derailed the superstar rise of Yao Ming. While he can still recover from this injury, it may have effectively closed the door on a return to the NBA. Now, he may need to embrace life as an import, which in some ways is unfortunate because he can still be a nightmare matchup for defenders as a key bench option.

Still, despite the doubts about his ability to lead a team without making the offense revolve entirely around him, I really can’t say his TNT stint was a bust. Yes, he initially hijacked the team’s offensive flow, but once he started allowing his teammates to do their thing, TNT began to thrive. The team won three straight games after that disappointing showdown against Ginebra, including a dominant demolition of the top-seeded NLEX Road Warriors.

But as impressive as he was, you could hear commentators mention that the TNT coaching staff had already been considering a replacement. That’s just the unfortunate reality of being an import, especially at a stage where every win matters. TNT can mourn the loss of its best player, but it also needs to salvage its conference campaign. After all, they are the defending Commissioner’s Cup champions.

Bol probably would not even be in the PBA if Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had been available. There is no question that RHJ would have been TNT’s first choice, considering he led the team to three championships and was named Best Import in each of those conferences. RHJ has also been Justin Brownlee’s kryptonite, limiting SMC’s title haul in recent years. Names like Marquese Chriss and Darius Days have surfaced as possible replacements, but TNT’s choice likely won’t be revealed until Sunday. Whoever comes in will have to adjust immediately without fully knowing his teammates or the gravity of the situation.

And suddenly, the Best Import race may no longer feel as elementary as it did just a day ago. While Bol put up incredible numbers, so did Justin Brownlee and Jaylen Johnson. If JB and JJ find themselves meeting in the Finals, that import could easily steal an award that once seemed like a lock for Bol.

Then again, maybe this is a blessing in disguise for TNT. Maybe their next import will be someone who can dominate while also elevating his teammates. TNT may have struggled on the playoff stage under Bol, but perhaps they will discover a better fit in their newest acquisition.

Chriss is a former NBA player who had solid stints with Phoenix and Golden State. Days is also a former NBA player who recently finished a stint with the San-en NeoPhoenix in Japan’s B.League. One advantage with Days, though, is that he is listed at 6’6. This means that if he performs well, there’s a chance TNT could retain him for the Governors’ Cup. That said, Days is more of a small forward, while Chriss could provide the interior presence TNT currently needs.

Edit: SPIN.ph has since reported that Chriss has ruled out a possible PBA stint. One name that emerged leading up to Game 3 is former UP Fighting Maroons FSA Malick Diouf.

At this point, TNT simply needs an import capable of neutralizing what Marvin Jones brings to Meralco. And here’s the thing: Jones is not a ball-dominant scoring machine. He’s more of a glue guy, which is why TNT managed to stay within striking distance until the dying minutes of Game 2.

Maybe TNT just needs a game or two to figure things out with its new import and survive Bol’s absence. Because both figuratively and literally, TNT just lost a giant when its 7’3 titan went down with an injury.