I wrote this post more than three years ago, ending with this statement "Castro, Romeo, Pogoy and Rosario could be the best local core that TNT can use to match up against SMB."
With the exception of Romeo, who by the way, ended up with SMB, Castro, Pogoy, and Rosario are still part of the TNT team that won this year's Philippine Cup. But they wouldn't have done it without the additions of Rookie of the Year, Mikey Williams, and the best local center who can match up against Jun Mar Fajardo, Poy Eram.
Mikey Williams was simply incredible for a rookie. His consistency beyond the arc is just stunning. Magnolia could not find anyone to guard against his three point shots. Small players cannot match his three-point jump shot. Tall players who try to guard him are slow to get to him, and he can opt to drive to the basket. TNT may have lost Ray Parks Jr., but who cares. Mikey Williams might just inherit Jason Castro's mantle, unless he also ends up in Japan like most of the young Filipino players nowadays.
Poy Eram showed his potential against Jun Mar Fajardo long ago when he was still with Blackwater. In one of their matches, he showcased that he could hit the three-point shot, forcing Jun Mar to defend the perimeter, freeing the paint for other TNT offensive players to operate. That's why the MVP group wanted Eram bad, and he might have had to go through NLEX for a few seasons, but eventually landed in TNT.
You could see the hunger in Pogoy, Castro, Rosario and Eram. Even vets like Kelly Williams and Ryan Reyes had renewed vigor. And with the return of Coach Chot Reyes, this had to be the year TNT finally overcame SMB. Now that they know how to win over the Beermen, we might just see a new dynasty for the next few seasons.
