TIME FOR THE TNT LOCALS TO STEP UP

What the TNT Tropang 5G has right now is both a blessing and a problem.

Yes, they have an NBA-caliber import in Bol Manute Bol.

And yes, to keep him effective, they have to let him play his game.

That’s where Chot Reyes and company find themselves in a bind.

Bol can drop 30 points with ease, and it’s not like he can’t carry them to wins. In a way, it feels like TNT is going back to the era when imports were expected to score 40 or more every night.

But that kind of setup comes with sacrifices.

As of May 5, 2026, only four teams have just two players averaging double figures. TNT has Bol and Calvin Oftana, while Terrafirma has Mubashar Ali and Jerrick Ahanmisi, Blackwater has Robert Upshaw III and Sedrick Barefield, and Titan Ultra has Michael Gilmore and Joshua Munzon. Among those second options, Oftana has the lowest average at 14.3 ppg, while guys like Munzon, Barefield, and Ahanmisi tend to take over when the opportunity to win presents itself.

And that’s really the issue—import-dependent teams struggle to close games. If you watched the May 5 matchup between NLEX and Titan Ultra, you saw Robert Bolick take over when it mattered, which allowed Cady Lalanne to do his thing. Some say Lalanne should demand the ball more, but what he’s doing already works.

Meanwhile, I understand why Titan Ultra fans are frustrated with Joshua Munzon. Yes, he’s a spectacular shooter, but he tends to forget that their import needs to touch the ball on every offensive possession. Add to that the Giant Risers’ questionable substitution pattern, which suddenly disappeared late in the fourth quarter and into overtime, and it just felt like NLEX was the team that deserved to win that game.

The same idea applies to Barangay Ginebra. Justin Brownlee is still their top option, but he’s only averaging 7.9 rebounds per game. Even with a relatively small lineup and the absence of Japeth Aguilar, they’re thriving because they maximize what they have. It also helps that Brownlee is one of the greatest imports in PBA history. This is something that could work against TNT in the playoffs.

Brownlee trusts his teammates, and it feels like the complete opposite with Bol. It’s not that Bol is a ball hog, but with the green light to score, it makes Jayson Castro, RR Pogoy, Rey Nambatac, Jordan Heading, and even Oftana at times look invisible.

In a league where most players peak in their 30s and imports are generally younger, it’s the team’s responsibility to help their import understand his role while also keeping him in check. Right now, it feels like they’re just guiding Bol’s game, when in reality, they also need to establish their own.

Because here’s the reality: this is Bol Manute Bol’s first international stint. He’s a legitimate NBA player, but he hasn’t led a team to victory on the biggest stages. In 10 playoff games across three series, he averaged just 2.1 points and 0.9 rebounds in 4.0 minutes per game. Back in college, Oregon reached the Sweet Sixteen in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, but Bol missed it due to a foot injury. Payton Pritchard stepped up in his absence, and who knows what could have happened if Bol was healthy. That injury also hurt his draft stock.

BY THE NUMBERS:

TNT TROPANG GIGA

2024-25 PBA COMMISSIONER'S CUP

PLAYER	GP	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG
HOLLIS-JEFFERSON, R	25	26.92	12.48	4.96	1.76	1.56
OFTANA, CALVIN	25	16.20	5.92	2.40	0.64	0.16
POGOY, RR	25	12.20	3.00	1.92	1.00	0.16
NAMBATAC, REY	24	11.67	3.25	3.63	1.08	0.00
CASTRO, JAYSON	12	10.58	2.75	3.58	1.25	0.08
ERRAM, JP	24	6.96	5.17	0.79	0.33	0.96
KHOBUNTIN, GLENN	25	4.32	2.32	0.28	0.36	0.12
AURIN, KIM	24	4.25	1.54	0.79	0.33	0.17
WILLIAMS, KELLY	20	4.10	3.90	0.75	0.60	0.20
GALINATO, HENRY	14	2.93	3.57	0.43	0.43	0.29
EBONA, BARKLEY	4	2.00	1.25	0.50	0.00	0.00
RAZON, JIELO	17	1.82	1.53	0.47	0.18	0.06
EXCIMINIANO, CHRIS	8	0.88	0.13	0.38	0.25	0.00
PAYAWAL, CJ	3	0.67	0.00	0.67	0.00	0.00
HERUELA, BRIAN	18	0.56	0.72	0.78	0.33	0.00
VARILLA, PAUL	7	0.00	0.29	0.57	0.00	0.00

TNT TROPANG 5G

2026 PBA COMMISSIONER'S CUP | as of May 5, 2026

TNT TROPANG 5G	GP	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG
BOL BOL - IMP	11	38.64	15.09	1.55	0.36	4.18
CALVIN OFTANA	11	14.27	6.64	1.73	0.27	0.09
B. GANUELAS-ROSSER	10	8.70	4.00	0.70	0.40	0.80
JORDAN HEADING	9	8.56	3.89	2.78	0.89	0.11
RR POGOY	8	7.88	3.88	2.00	0.75	0.63
JAYSON CASTRO	11	6.36	2.55	3.64	0.64	0.00
REY NAMBATAC	11	5.27	2.18	1.91	1.27	0.09
HENRY GALINATO	11	4.18	2.82	0.55	0.27	0.09
JUSTIN CHUA	5	3.80	1.40	0.40	0.40	0.20
GLENN KHOBUNTIN	9	3.78	1.56	0.22	0.22	0.00
KEVIN FERRER	10	3.10	1.90	0.30	0.30	0.10
AVAN NAVA	8	2.25	1.25	0.50	0.13	0.00
KELLY WILLIAMS	8	2.13	3.00	0.50	0.13	0.00
TYRUS HILL	1	2.00	1.00	0.00	0.00	1.00
KIM AURIN	8	1.88	1.13	0.38	0.13	0.13
MIKE NIETO	9	1.22	2.11	0.22	0.22	0.00
JIO JALALON	2	1.00	2.50	1.50	0.00	0.00
SIMON ENCISO	5	0.60	1.00	1.40	0.20	0.00

This isn’t about calling Bol unreliable in big games. It’s about the responsibility of the TNT locals to help him. TNT has been to the finals in the last four conferences and won two of them. The locals need to step up and support Bol—not the other way around.

And to be fair, you can’t say he isn’t trying. At this point, he’s also thinking about his legacy. There’s a good chance he won’t return next season, especially if he looks for another NBA opportunity, and TNT might pivot back to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. RHJ is also a high-level scorer, but more importantly, he understands the import game—something Bol is still figuring out.

You can’t fault Bol for taking over when his teammates turn into spectators.

Because being a PBA import isn’t just about scoring. You’re expected to lead while also neutralizing the opposing import. That’s where the locals are supposed to create the edge. Right now, outside of Bol and Oftana, that consistency just isn’t there.

TNT will figure things out—it’s what they do. But they need to do it soon. They face Ginebra next Sunday, a team that would love to stop them, especially with a potential playoff matchup looming.

Yes, Bol has had his moments, like unnecessarily ripping his jersey mid-game despite the possible consequences. But at the end of the day, the responsibility still falls on the locals.

This is a team loaded with combo guards and a history of thriving in the playoffs. If they want to defend their title, they need to fix their issues—and fast.