For the longest time, Jayson Castro defined the TNT Tropang Giga.
As star-studded as the Tropang Giga have been every year, it has been Castro that has been the tip of the spear, a role he inherited from another great point guard in Jimmy Alapag. The big shots and the crucial plays that have won TNT championships over the last decade have more often than not come thanks to Castro’s efforts.
Recent times, though, have been different.
Castro is a couple of years away from the big 4-0, so the speed that made him The Blur has been more a pleasant surprise than a common occurrence. Unlike other organizations that easily dispose of their stars, the Tropang Giga continued to include Castro in their plans while integrating their plans, whether that’s by coming off the bench or ceding more minutes to teammates like Rey Nambatac and Kim Aurin. However, that hasn’t stopped Castro from reminding us that underestimating him would be an unwise decision.
In Game 1 of TNT’s 2024-2025 Commissioner’s Cup semifinal series against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Castro was unconscious from behind the 3-point line, finishing 24 points in an 88-84 victory. It was a virtuoso Castro performance that saw him take the younger Elasto Painter backcourt of Andrei Caracut and Adrian Nocum to school and render the Rain or Shine defense as mere spectators. He was well on his way to another solid performance with 13 points and five assists in Game 2 until disaster struck late in the fourth quarter.
A move Castro had done thousands of times let him down at one of the worst possible moments. Despite holding on for a 93-91 Game 2 win, there was a bittersweet feeling within the Tropang Giga. Castro will miss the rest of the season after he was diagnosed with a full thickness patellar tendon tear on his right knee but it felt like TNT lost their heart and soul.
Castro’s loss will be felt even if on paper, the Tropang Giga have the personnel to take his place. Whoever fills in for him won’t be able to easily replace the experience and smarts needed to lead a squad not only in the interim, but also a title contender in TNT. We’re already seeing Castro’s value as Rain or Shine was able to sneak past the Tropang Giga in Game 3 and with each game being decided by an average of 3.7 points, things will definitely be close.
On the other side of the bracket, the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings are now a win away from reaching the Commissioner’s Cup finals and it’s more likely than not that the NorthPort Batang Pier will make it much of a series. Meanwhile, with Jayson Castro on the sidelines, the TNT Tropang Giga will have their hands full against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
The Tropang Giga are still the favorites, but it’s a bit more even given the circumstances. How TNT deals with the adversity, though, will define whether or not this will be the start of a championship run or a conference of what-if.
