THREE-TIME PBA champion and three-time Best Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is back in town and he is ready to complete unfinished business with the TNT Tropang 5G this season.
TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa confirmed to The Manila Times that the American reinforcement arrived on Tuesday.
While the team is not in a hurry to dip its reliable resident import into the water, its main priority is to bring the former NBA star in game shape before the tournament reaches the tough grind.
TNT paraded Nicholas Julian Hornsby at the restart of the Governors’ Cup action last Wednesday and the new import replaced Holiis-Jefferson’s brother, Rahlir.
Rahlir and Rondae went back to the United States a few weeks ago to attend to family matters.
Hornsby is the third reinforcement of the Tropang 5G this conference after Darius Days and Rahlir Hoillis-Jefferson.
In his debut game, he finished with 26 points in his team’s 116-92 triumph over Terrafirma.
TNT is hoping that Hornsby can hold the fort until RHJ can get the green signal to play after a ruptured Achilles injury he suffered late last year while on loan to play for the Meralco Bolts in the East Asia Super League.
The Tropang 5G is not in the safest position. They carry an even 4-4 win-loss slate and will need as many wins as possible in the next few weeks.
Only the top four teams per group will advance to the quarterfinal round after the double-round elimination group stage format.
In the quarterfinal round, it will be a crossover playoffs where the top teams from each group will face the No.4 seeds of the opposite group. The second-seeded squads of the two groups will meet their counterparts in the opposite group.
Every game is crucial now and the Tropang 5G will be pinning their hopes for now on Hornsby, the well-travelled reinforcement, who last saw action in the Canadian Elite Basketball League while playing for Edmonton Stingers.
Once RHJ returns to action, he will restore his role as the gold standard among imports playing in the PBA.
With Justin Brownlee still doubtful to play after Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone disclosed during the Senate hearing that he has a heart condition and high blood pressure that forced him to miss the recent Asian Games campaign and the previous window event of Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, much will be expected on Hollis-Jefferson as his stiffest competition is likely to miss the tournament.
But whether Hollis-Jefferson will still play with the same overall impact like he did three times when he led TNT to the promised land or will he become a few steps slower remains to be seen, but knowing that the Tropang 5G will have their old reliable back in harness is very encouraging.
The Philippines has been home for Hollis-Jefferson the past four years. He was regarded as the only import who was able to beat Brownlee in a finals confrontation. Three times when they met in the championship showdown, the TNT reinforcement was able to get the better end of his match up with the beloved Barangay Ginebra import.
Except when he lost to Brownlee in the Asian Games in China three years ago when Gilas Pilipinas defeated Jordan in the gold medal game, Hollis-Jefferson had been lording it over against his old nemesis and his import counterparts in the PBA.
TNT is not panicking. It has Hollis-Jefferson at its disposal and it will only be a matter of time before the Tropang 5G will rediscover their old, deadly championship form.
They believe they can never go wrong with RHJ, who has some unfinished business to fulfill.
