In the 2010-2011 PBA season, the TNT Tropang Texters came agonizingly close to pulling off the league's first Grand Slam since 1996. After clinching the Philippine Cup and the Commissioner's Cup, TNT was just one win away from completing the historic triple crown. Standing in their way were the Petron Blaze Boosters in the Governors' Cup Finals. The series stretched all the way to a Game 7, where TNT ultimately fell short and lost 85-73.
Fourteen years later, echoes of that once-mighty squad still remain. Head coach Chot Reyes, veteran big man Kelly Williams, and sidelined star Jayson Castro are the last holdovers from that near-miss chase. Today they find themselves with another opportunity to chase history and finally capture that elusive Grand Slam for the TNT franchise.
But the road back has been anything but smooth.
TNT's campaign in the Philippine Cup has gotten off to a rocky start. The team has struggled to find its footing without star import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. They opened the tournament with three straight losses -- their worst start since 2000. Playing without a foreign reinforcement exposed gaps in chemistry and execution, particularly on the defensive end.
"Honestly, galing kami sa dalawang conferences na nandoon si Rondae, so talagang nag-aadjust pa lahat - lalo sa depensa," RR Pogoy said after their second straight loss, a tough outing against the Converge.
Hollis-Jefferson's absence didn't just affect their on-court production -- it challenged the identity the team had built around him. With the squad reverting to an all-Filipino lineup, familiar roles shifted and the defensive anchor was missed. This has created an adjustment phase that has tested both the coaching staff and players alike.
It's also the first true conference that TNT does not have Castro as their main playmaker. Rey Nambatac and new acquisition Simon Enciso are still adjusting being the lead initiators.
Still, with a battle-tested core and seasoned leaders guiding a new generation of TNT stars, the door isn't quite shut on their Grand Slam dreams. They finally secured their first win for the Philippine Cup against perennial contender San Miguel. It might be the jumpstart the team needs to turn the corner.
TNT's rebounding issue
In their three losses, TNT was consistently crushed on the boards, losing the rebounding battle by an average margin of 10.3 per game. Oddly enough, their best performance on the glass came in the win against San Miguel - outrebounding the Beermen, 50-47. But that was the exception rather than the rule.
The consequences of this rebounding gap are evident in second-chance opportunities and points in the paint. Against Converge, TNT was outscored inside, 58-28 - a dominant display that exposed TNT's interior vulnerability. NLEX, meanwhile, took full advantage of offensive boards, racking up a 17-0 edge in second-chance points. These numbers paint a clear picture: Opponents are capitalizing on TNT's inability to secure stops with defensive rebounds.
Even with veterans like JP Erram and Kelly Williams manning the center position, it's become clear that rebounding is going to require a collective effort. Without Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, their usual safety net who could grab boards at will and anchor the paint, the responsibility falls more heavily on everyone else to crash the glass and finish defensive possessions.
"Sa depensa, talagang nandun agad sa ilalim si Rondae. At tsaka lahat ng rebound kinukuha niya talaga," RR Pogoy admitted, once again highlighting just how much Hollis-Jefferson impacts their rebounding and interior defense.
As the conference progresses, TNT will need to find ways to address this imbalance - whether that means more aggressive boxing out, gang rebounding from guards, or tweaking rotations to prioritize physicality. Because while their defensive schemes are holding up decently, the lack of rebounding is giving opponents too many extra chances to score.
Calvin Oftana is taking charge
TNT clearly misses Castro's ability to organize the offense and his late-game decisions. His absence has left a glaring hole in TNT's backcourt -- not just in leadership, but in shot creation and tempo control. Without their longtime floor general, the offense at times has looked disjointed and has struggled to generate quality looks in the halfcourt.
With that said, the immediate and obvious solution has been to give their most versatile offensive weapon more responsibility. That's exactly what Calvin Oftana has embraced, and so far, he's delivered in a big way.
Overshadowed by TNT's early conference struggles is the fact that Oftana is putting together one of the best all-around stretches of his career. Through four games, the Gilas Pilipinas forward is averaging an impressive 21 points, 10 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1 steal per contest -- all while posting a scorching 70.9 TS%. That level of efficiency, especially on such volume, speaks to how well Oftana is reading defenses, picking his spots, and converting at a high clip.
A major factor in his offensive rise is his 3-point shooting. Oftana is connecting on 42.9% of his triples on a healthy volume of seven attempts per game -- currently the best in the league among players with at least three games played. Whether spotting up off kickouts or pulling up off screens, his outside shot has become a reliable weapon that stretches defenses and opens up space for his teammates.
But Oftana's value hasn't been limited to scoring.
Amidst TNT's rebounding woes, he's stepped up as a surprising but vital contributor on the boards. In their lone win against San Miguel, Oftana didn't just lead the scoring effort with 23 points - he also crashed the glass with relentless energy, grabbing a career-high 21 rebounds. It was the PBA's first 20-20 game since 2016, and a clear example of a player rising to meet his team's most pressing needs.
As TNT continues to navigate through injuries and lineup adjustments, Oftana's emergence as a go-to guy gives them a glimmer of hope. He's not just filling in; he's flourishing. And if his trajectory holds, he could very well be the key to keeping their conference afloat and reach the mountain top once more.
The climb back to the top is far from easy, but TNT's journey in the 2025 Philippine Cup is a story still being written.
They may not look like title favorites now, but if there's anything we've learned from this franchise over the years, it's this: TNT always finds a way to fight. And if they can build on these early lessons, that elusive Grand Slam dream may not be as distant as it seems.