Is TNT a Championship Contender after the Poy Erram Acquisition?

The last time the TNT franchise won a championship, it was during the 2015 Commissioner's Cup right after Jimmy Alapag's retirement and eventually taking the role as team manager of the KaTropa. TNT faced the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the best-of-7 championship series that went to two overtime periods in Game 7- a game that was won by TNT, 121-118. Jayson Castro had just nabbed the Best Player of the  Conference award while Ranidel De Ocampo took home the Finals MVP plum.  Since then, the KaTropa had gone to the Finals twice with the most recent being in last season's Commissioner's Cup when they lost in six games against the San Miguel Beermen.

Fast forward to 2020. 

Ray Parks just agreed to a one-year deal to return to the KaTropa after a two-week standoff. Then, a  blockbuster three-team trade sent shockwaves around the league as the TNT KaTropa is set to welcome JP Erram whom they are set to acquire after submitting a trade proposal to the Commissioner's office. While the 4-man trade committee is looking to make the involved teams make the necessary revisions before the deal gets a green light, many are already hyped to see Poy Erram team up with Parks, Castro, RR Pogoy, and Troy Rosario. In fact, some are even calling it 'TNT Pilipinas" as Erram, Parks, Castro, Pogoy, and Rosario have played for Gilas Pilipinas in the past and currently, Erram, Pogoy, and Rosario are included in the training pool of the national team who is set to face Indonesia on the 23rd as part of the first window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup. Incidentally, Mark Dickel, TNT's active consultant, happens to be the interim coach of Gilas for the February window.

The big question now is this: Can an Erram-equipped KaTropa side win the Philippine Cup championship?

It depends. 

Assuming that the trade gets approved by PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial upon the recommendation of the 4-man trade committee, JP Erram will give the KaTropa a more consistent big man who they are lacking for a long period of time as Kelly Williams has been bugged by nonstop injuries. With his improved capabilities to play defense that is backed by him winning the Defensive Player of the Year in 2018, he can be the anchor of TNT's defense and yes, he's among the best two-way big men in the PBA and he's bound to benefit from the absence of the PBA's best centers: Greg Slaughter and June Mar  Fajardo.  

If this current TNT core can stay healthy and wax out their chemistry, they can be unstoppable. They now have the talents to make it back to the finals. But win the championship?  That's a different story. 

Photo is from Tiebreaker Times