Top rookie Stanley Pringle makes impressive PBA debut

MANILA, Philippines – Stanley Pringle, the first overall pick of the 2014 Rookie Draft, did not disappoint in his first appearance in the Philippine Basketball Association. 

Pringle did a myriad of things for Globalport Batang Pier on Tuesday, October 21 to try and book a first win in the 2015 Philippine Cup. He escaped defenders, fearlessly attacked the basket, split the defense, set his teammates up, made difficult shots, and scored from beyond the arc – all of which amounted to 14 points (5-of-10 field goals including two triples), 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. 

The only thing missing from his debut, however, was the victory as Globalport yielded its first game to the NLEX Road Warriors, 101-96, after failing to execute in the endgame.

But the loss doesn’t detract from Pringle’s performance and the potential oozing from him. 

The 27-year old former ASEAN Basketball League champion started for the Batang Pier and played the longest at 40 and a half minutes, though settled for a facilitator role as he acclimated himself to the PBA’s style of play.

“I’ll take the shots as it goes. I don’t wanna force anything because we got a lot of scorers in the team,” he admitted after the game.

Pringle did not look like a true rookie out of college. His 4-year experience playing the international circuit was evident in the way he moved, orchestrated plays, and took it hard to the hoop each chance he had. But his unfamiliarity with the league was also exposed with his 3 turnovers, which included errant passes. 

“A little bit,” Pringle, a former Penn State cager, admitted some jitters in his first game. “Once the ball was tipped I was playing a little fast but I settled down. My teammates helped me to settle down.”

Pringle, who has played in Belgium, Poland and Ukraine, has high expectations riding on him as Globalport seeks to extract itself from the cellar and recover from a dismal 7-26 record from last season. Pringle is expected to play a major part in Globalport’s road to becoming contenders. 

Pringle’s first game minutes and touches attest to his role together with sharp shooters Alex Cabagnot and Terrence Romeo as Globalport’s deadly backcourt trio. 

Cabagnot, for one, thinks Pringle is the Batang Pier’s biggest asset. 

“We get a guy like that – and I’ve been here for such a long time – he could affect the game in a lot of ways,” he said. 

Cabagnot also shared how the 6-foot guard is jelling with the team, and how Pringle still has plenty of potential to be unlocked. 

“As of now he’s fitting in well. He’s great with the guys. We have a great relationship as of right now,” explained Cabagnot. “But he’s a rookie still in the PBA, which is a very big league and has stood the test of time, and there’s some things he has to adjust to and personally go through. I’m here to guide him through that.” 

NLEX veteran big man Asi Taulava, who was already familiar with Pringle from playing in the ABL, had high praise for the rookie’s performance right away. 

“I played against Stanley in the ABL. I knew he was a very gifted kid and so talented. For 3 quarters, he tortured us.” 

Globalport’s next outing will be on Sunday, October 26 against Barako Bull. Until then, head coach Pido Jarencio told Pringle and the rest of the team to “keep fighting and stay together as a team.”

Pringle, meanwhile, downplayed his performance and is looking forward to correcting his mistakes and improving.

“I had a couple of turnovers. I’m ready to look at the tape and see where I need to get better to help the team.” – Rappler.com