TNT Tropang 5G finish as runners up to San Miguel Beermen in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Even after falling short in the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, Jordan Heading remains optimistic about what lies ahead for TNT Tropang 5G.
Heading sees promise in the idea of a complete roster heading into Season 50, after TNT’s depleted lineup struggled to keep up with San Miguel Beer in their best-of-seven series.
HIGHLIGHTS: PBA Philippine Cup Finals Game 6 – San Miguel vs TNT
“It’s a really exciting thought to see how we’ll gel together,” said the TNT sniper after their 107-96 loss to eventual champion San Miguel Beer at Philsports Arena on Friday night.
“Obviously they’ve done huge things when they had the whole squad together and to be able to add myself, Brandon (Ganuelas-Rosser), Mike (Nieto) and Simon (Enciso) will be a lot of added and extra firepower that I think will be exciting.”
Heading was one of the biggest acquisitions of TNT in recent months in its bid for a Grand Slam.
READ: San Miguel rules PBA Philippine Cup, thwarts TNT’s Grand Slam bid
After winning two crowns in the Commissioner’s and the Governors’ Cup, the Tropang 5G ultimately lost steam in the All-Filipino due to mounting injuries.
TNT Tropang 5G’s Jordan Heading during the PBA Philippine Cup Finals Game 6 against San Miguel Beermen. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER. net
Heading finished with 13 points, three rebounds and two assists in TNT’s last game of the season, but couldn’t help the Tropang 5G snag the coveted trifecta.
But it wasn’t hard to pinpoint what proved costly for TNT, with the absence of key players like Jayson Castro and Rey Nambatac in the playoffs.
Simon Enciso and Poy Erram were also ruled out in the middle of the Finals series with the Beermen.
It certainly didn’t help the Tropang 5G’s cause that both Calvin Oftana and Kelly Williams played the whole series with hurt ankles.
Despite the heartbreak, Heading refused to dwell on the setbacks and said he was thankful to reach the PBA Finals in just his second conference in the league.
“I’m thankful for the experience and to be here with TNT. I’m very lucky to be in this situation in just my second conference.”
“I’m excited to get a proper preseason for me and learn about what’s going on in terms of systems and how guys play.”
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Heading was acquired by TNT from Converge a few months back via a trade that sent former Tropa, Mikey Williams’ rights to the FiberXers.
