RoS banking on Pringle leadership

Rain or Shine head coach Yeng Guiao sees Stanley Pringle’s veteran presence as an important piece of the puzzle in the Elasto Painters’ bid to reach the finals of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Philippine Cup.   

Guiao is confident that the seasoned guard’s wealth of experience and leadership will play a big role in Rain or Shine’s sustained improvement.

“Stanley Pringle brings a lot to our team. He makes people around him get better,” Guiao said of the 38-year-old veteran.

“I think that’s what Stanley brings. He’s able to make the players around him better.”

The Elasto Painters made it to the semifinals of all three conferences last season.

Unfortunately, Rain or Shine was denied entry to the finals each time by powerhouse TNT. The squad also fell short in the Season 48-ending Philippine Cup Final Four in a sweep by San Miguel Beer.

“In the last 4 conferences, we made it to the semifinals. We couldn’t break past the semifinals. We were always up against a very strong team, mostly TNT. We can’t get over that hump. But we feel that this conference, we’re more prepared,” Guiao said.

To shore up its relatively young core, Rain or Shine tapped the 11-year veteran from free agency during the offseason to help other elder statesmen Gabe Norwood and Beau Belga in their leadership role.

“He can also mentor our younger guards. Our young guards will learn a lot from him,” Guiao said of the four-time PBA champion.

“And then, we have a closer. We have a lot of games, which I feel we could’ve won in the endgame or clutch situations. You need somebody like Stanley Pringle to get you over. And the other guys can learn from that,” the fiery mentor added.

“So, the future looks bright for our team.”

Pringle, who played for Terrafirma last season, is embracing his role for the squad, mentoring the likes of youthful backcourt stars Adrian Nocum, Gian Mamuyac, Anton Asistio and Andrei Caracut.

“Yeah, veteran role. But, you know, we got two other big time veteran players there as well. So, I think for me right now, I’m focusing on the team chemistry. You know, getting to know the guys, what positions they like to do,” the 2014 top overall Draft pick said.

“And if any of them have questions or want to talk to me about a certain part of the game or anything that I can help them with, they’ll come over and ask me something,” he added.

“But I’m the new guy on the team, so I’ve got to catch up. I’ve got to get the team chemistry down, get the plays down, and focus on those things first.”

Rain or Shine has not reached the championship round since winning it all in the 2015-2016 Commissioner’s Cup.