CHOT SAYS INFLUX OF YOUNG BLOOD PUSHES VETERANS TO WORK HARDER

TNT coach Chot Reyes believes the influx of young talent has forced veteran players to up the ante of their off court workout in an effort to stay relevant and dominant in the pro league.

Beau Belga of Rain or Shine, Jayson Castro and Kelly Williams of TNT, Christian Standhardinger and Japeth Aguilar of Barangay Ginebra, and Mark Barroca of Magnolia have all been shining in the PBA Philippine Cup despite their long mileage playing pro basketball.

"The veterans are seeing the challenge from the young one. They are doing extra work in their conditioning," said Reyes, whose team got a big lift from the 42-year-old Williams, who recorded 17 points and 13 rebounds, while limiting Phoenix star Jason Perkins to just six points in the second half as Tropang Giga scored a comeback-from-behind 108-101 win on Wednesday.

"We know everyone in the league is paying attention to their nutrition and off-court work, that's what we're seeing now and the influx of young blood has been very good for the league."

The rise of young turks like Converge's "Mutt and Jeff" pair of Justin Araña and Alec Stockton and NorthPort's Will Navarro and Arvin Tolentino have pushed an aging Tropang Giga side to work their tail off in every game.

"It's been very difficult for us because for us at Talk 'N Text before, when we have bad games, we know [there are] certain games we have sure wins. But now every game we know is going to be a challenge. It demands our best," Reyes explained.

While winning is now more difficult this season, the general effect is that veteran players, who want to stay relevant, push themselves by working harder to stay in good condition.

"And it's good for the league because the challenge is forcing the veterans to really up their conditioning because we know they are skilled. These guys are all skilled: Kelly, Beau and Mark, Jayson, CStand, Japeth, they all up their conditioning, brought about by the challenge, seeing the young blood coming in," Reyes said.

Among the veterans, Belga at 37, appears to have gained a second wind in his pro career as he currently averaged 17.6 points, 9.5 rebounds and 5.2 assists, while registering three triples doubles in Rain or Shine's last six games to help revive his team's playoff hopes in the all-Filipino conference.

Barroca, who just turned 38 on Thursday, is averaging 15.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.7 assists to help Magnolia get back into contention for the top 2 with four straight victories and through a 5-2 record.

On the other hand, the 37-year-old Aguilar is averaging 13.7 points and 5.8 rebounds, while defending guards from the opposition as part of Ginebra coach Tim Cone's creative scheme in the absence of injured wingmen Jamie Malonzo, Jeremiah Gray and Aljon Mariano.

2024-04-26T03:20:43Z dg43tfdfdgfd