by Jonas Terrado
Stanley Pringle whipped a sharp pass to Scottie Thompson in the weak post to set up a Joe Devance layup during one offensive play Barangay Ginebra San Miguel tried to perfect during Wednesday’s practice in Ortigas.
On the following sequence, a broken play ended with Pringle draining a tough baseline shot over Japeth Aguilar, leaving a few fans who were able to sneak the practice facility amid tight security in awe and Devance shouting in ecstasy.
“Stanley Pringle! Stanley Pringle!” Devance said.
The possibilities seemed endless for Ginebra after landing one of the PBA’s premier guards on Tuesday in a four-player trade with NorthPort. While as disappointing as losing Sol Mercado, Kevin Ferrer and Jervy Cruz in order to close the deal, coach Tim Cone has already seen visions of promise with Pringle in tow.
“We try to envision something like Scottie bringing down the floor, having Justin (Brownlee) on the right side, having Stanley on the left side with the offense that he has and our big guys (Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar) running the floor,” Cone said after Pringle’s first session with his new team.
“There’s a lot of nice things to think about, hopefully that vision will be realized and we move forward and give it a chance to win a championship,” added Cone.
Pringle’s move after almost five stellar seasons with the Batang Pier puts him in a great position to form a dynamic backcourt duo with either Thompson or resident playmaker LA Tenorio or through small ball with the three on the same floor.
It also opens the door for Pringle’s best chance at finally winning his first championship, something that has eluded him since becoming the Batang Pier’s No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft by the Batang Pier.
“That’s everybody’s main goal, to win a championship,” Pringle said, his feet placed in an ice bucket while being crowded by reporters after the three-hour practice.
“Whatever situation you’re in, whatever team you’re on that’s pretty much the main goal,” added Pringle, who for the meantime wants to settle down with his new team before entertaining thoughts of chasing the ultimate prize.
“Right now it’s all about the small steps. I got to learn first the offense and fit in with my new teammates, get a feel for everybody and gel with the team. That’s my focus right now, step-by-step.”
While Pringle tries to get familiar with his new surroundings, Mercado seemed emotional as he dropped by Ginebra practice to say goodbye to his now former teammates.
Mercado described his four-year Ginebra stint as the best of his career as evident with his part in championship runs in the 2016 and 2017 Governors’ Cup and 2018 Commissioner’s Cup.
“I just went in there to tell all my brothers goodbye,” Mercado said, his eyes obviously showing sadness. “It’s still tough, but at the end of the day I still get to wake up, play basketball for a living and I still have a job.”
Mercado took a few photos with Ginebra fans who offered their commiserations before heading home through an electric scooter. Later in the day, he was the Mall of Asia Arena to begin a new chapter with NorthPort.
Tags: Barangay Ginebra San Miguel , Ginebra San Miguel , Greg Slaughter , Japeth Aguilar , Jervy Cruz , Joe DeVance , Kevin Ferrer , LA Tenorio , PBA , Scottie Thompson , Stanley Pringle , Tim Cone
