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Jalen Hudson (right) leaves TNT with a 5-1 record.—AUGUST DELA CRUZ
Some teams have replaced imports that were wrong or not good enough. TNT, one of the three teams that took the early lead in the PBA Governors’ Cup made a reinforcement switch to go from good to better ways, hoping to reveal another dimension of the game.
Tropang Giga has signed former Brooklyn Nets starter Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (RHJ), who will replace Jalen Hudson starting Wednesday against Blackwater.
“I hope RHJ can make a better and more flexible defensive team. He is not as gifted as he is [Hudson] offensively, but he brings a lot of energy to the field,” he told the Inquirer last night.
Hollis-Jefferson, an American forward who has stints with two other NBA clubs aside from the Nets, took over as an import who played a big role in TNT’s 5-1 record so far.
Hudson once dropped 56 points and 12 rebounds against early leader Converge after being limited to just 14 points by Magnolia.
Interim coach Jojo Lastimosa said reeling in Hollis-Jefferson allowed TNT to be more assertive in the paint.
“It also freed up the wing position that was taken by Jalen. Now we can play bigger if we want,” he said.
Hollis-Jefferson’s big-play ability will help a TNT squad that is still trying to keep up with new acquisition Justin Chua. The veteran center, acquired through a three-team trade last month, is averaging just 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds for Tropang Giga so far.
TNT are also without central defender Poy Erram, who is still recovering from a knee procedure.
Hollis-Jefferson, 28, has seven season NBA averages of 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Selected 23rd by the Nets in the 2015 Rookie Draft, the former Arizona standout in the US National Collegiate Athletic Association had his best year in the 2017-2018 season, averaging 13.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Hollis-Jefferson arrives just as Tropang Giga is set to run through a tough schedule. After the Blackwater match, TNT will take on Meralco, San Miguel Beer and defending champion Barangay Ginebra. INQ
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