JOLAS SAYS 'HARD WORKER' SIMON ENCISO WILL BE VITAL FOR TNT

SIMON Enciso’s familiarity with TNT is just one of the reasons why the Tropang 5G signed him for the Philippine Cup where they are also eyeing to capture the rare PBA Grand Slam.

TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa said Enciso will be a vital cog to the Tropang 5G where they aimed at getting deeper with Jayson Castro still out in the conference due to a ruptured right patellar tendon.

READ: Simon Enciso grateful for new lease on life, vows to repay TNT faith

Enciso’s first stint with TNT was in 2020 when he was acquired from a trade in exchange of Mike DiGregorio. He played during the Clark bubble where the Tropang Giga finished runner-up to Barangay Ginebra.

"He was a free agent and Simon came from the TNT franchise already in 2020. And he is familiar with Roger (Pogoy), Kelly (Williams), and Ryan (Reyes), so they are familiar with Simon," said Lastimosa.

Lastimosa is aware of the perception by fans that Enciso is a kind of player with a swag. And although that can be taken negatively against him, Lastimosa said the most important thing is the work he does on and off the court.

"Simon has this kind of reputation na medyo maangas, but Simon is a hard worker," said Lastimosa. Enciso signed with TNT after playing for San Miguel for four years where he won two championships. Before becoming a free agent, however, Enciso saw limited time for the Beermen, playing for only three games and scoring a grand total of just five points.

That could change in a new chapter of his career with TNT after signing a two-year deal.

"We know that he can make threes which is very important to our team and our system," said Lastimosa.

2025-04-19T14:08:01Z