MANILA, Philippines — Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone is excited for the return of Stanley Pringle and the drafting of Javi Gomez de Liaño and Jayson David as the PBA Governors’ Cup titlists eye a fitting follow-up in the Philippine Cup.
Pringle missed out on the last campaign due to knee injury but the Gin Kings managed to pull it off with the ever-dependable Justin Brownlee in tow. Cone expects a fit-again Pringle to do a Brownlee-esque performance with the two-time Best Import awardee not in their disposal now.
“The good news is we got Stanley coming back,” Cone said of the Fil-Am spitfire, who underwent surgery for a meniscus tear on his left knee last December.
“We rely so much on what Justin does and when you take him out of the lineup, it’s a big adjustment. But with Stanley, we can plug in there, he does a lot of what Justin can do for us in the All-Filipino,” he added.
With Pringle back, Japeth Aguilar recovered from calf injury and Christian Standhardinger getting more accustomed to the Ginebra system, Cone is seeing bright things ahead for the crowd darlings who failed to get past the quarterfinals of the last Philippine Cup.
“We have a healthier Japeth and a healthier Stanley to start the conference and I think that’s going to make a big difference for us,” he said.
“And another conference with Christian having the understanding of what we’re doing and I think he’s just going to get better and better for us,” he added.
Then there’s breakout star Scottie Thompson, whom Cone expects to pick up from where he left off in his Best Player of the Conference-wining outing in the Governors’ Cup.
Cone selected former Japan B. League player De Liaño eighth overall and Ginebra’s 3x3 player David 20th in the draft.
“With Javi, he’s got a good size for his position and he can shoot the threes and he’s an experienced player, having played overseas. I think he can step in and play with us right away,” said the multi-titled coach, who expressed belief “the fans are going to like De Liaño.”
David, he said, got a glowing review from coach Kirk Collier, his coach in the 3x3.
“He reminds me of a Bong Quinto, can play different positions, point guard, off guard, three position. I’m really high on him, he can be a kind of secret steal of the draft, I hope,” he said.