Becoming the Top Gun: Stanley Pringle is Leading Ginebra to New Heights

"It's a luxury to have a guy like Stanley on your team who can do so many things," Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings Head Coach Tim Cone said of his prized guard, Stanley Pringle. 

Without Pringle,  the Gin Kings would have lost against the Alaska Aces on Tuesday where Ginebra was trailing by seven points after two quarters. Instead, it was Pringle who took over and led the Gin Kings to an 87-81 victory that snapped their two-game losing streak. That improved Ginebra's record to 5-2 inside the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup bubble in Clark.

While Ginebra was able to get contributions from Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, and Aljon Mariano in a game where Prince Caperal was limited to six points in 24 minutes, it was Stanley Pringle who played his best game yet in a Ginebra uniform as he totaled 31 points, six rebounds, and a steal in 39 minutes. He made four of his five attempts from the three-point line. Tuesday's game against Alaska marked the third time in four games that Pringle led Ginebra in scoring. In that four-game span, Pringle averaged 23 points. 

In seven games thus far in the all-Filipino conference, Pringle is averaging 21 points which put him in the top-five leading scorers in the league. He is shooting 44% from the three-point and 95% from the free-throw line. 

Stanley Pringle has one championship under his belt with the Gin Kings since being traded last year. With him leading the way and becoming the primary scoring option for the crowd darlings, Pringle can lead the Gin Kings to their first Philippine Cup trophy since the 2006-2007 Philippine Cup when Mark Caguioa won the Best Player of the Conference and Jayjay Helterbrand nabbed the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) plum. Incidentally, Mark Caguioa was also the league's top scorer for that season. 

Fast forward to 2020. Mark Caguioa is still a Gin King and is now seeing Stanley Pringle lead Ginebra to new heights.  

Photo is from ESPN