Stanley Pringle is going to the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.
The Elasto Painters made it official on Tuesday, announcing the signing of the 38-year-old four-time champion and former Rookie of the Year on social media and confirming it through head coach Yeng Guiao later in the day.
Pringle, who’s had stops with the Globalport Batang Pier, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, and Terrafirma Dyip, will join a Rain or Shine squad that made it to the semifinals in all three conferences in Season 49—each time losing to the Grand Slam-seeking TNT Tropang 5G.
But with his advancing age and surgically repaired knees, it is fair to wonder if Stan the Man can still be a difference-maker for the Elasto Painters, who have shown they can hang with the big boys but might still be a player or two away from true contender status.
The answer might be a resounding yes, and here are three reasons to believe so:
1. 40 Is the New 30
These guys are all 40 but are still playing at a high level. In fact, all three have played in the Finals this season—and Ross and Williams are still going at it in the PBA Philippine Cup finale. There are also a handful of other 40-year-olds—Rain or Shine’s Gabe Norwood for one—and approaching-40 players—think Mark Barroca and Jayson Castro before he was injured—still playing well even at their “advanced” age.
Needless to say, age is just a number in today’s PBA, and Stanley Pringle is testament to that as well. In this PBA Philippine Cup, in fact, Pringle averaged 13.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.1 steals on 47.6% shooting overall and 37.3% from deep—not far off from his career averages of 15.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.1 steals on 51.9% from the field and 37.7% from the arc.
In short, Stanley Pringle can still hoop and do what he does best: score.
2. A Stabilizer and Go-To Guy
Pringle could serve as a top-grade counterpoint to Rain or Shine’s fast-paced, rah-rah style of hoops that usually bogs down in the playoffs against elite defenses (think TNT). While the veteran guard still has the jets to play that kind of game, he’s probably more suited for a slower, more deliberate pace as either a primary or secondary playmaker who can shoot as well as get to the basket.
This is exactly the kind of half court playmaking Rain or Shine doesn’t have yet as Adrian Nocum is still figuring out how to slow things down when defenses are set and Caelan Tiongson remains a work in progress as a fulcrum on the post. With Pringle, Yeng Guiao now has someone to give the ball to whom he can trust with making the right play—whether that be scoring himself or making plays for others.
3. Leadership
If anything, Stanley Pringle brings a professional, do-your-job mentality to Rain or Shine, whose relatively young core—Nocum, Andre Caracut, and Leonard Santillan—seem a bit too loose and carefree, particularly off the court. Stanley Pringle at the very least will come in, work hard, play hard, and show the professionalism and dedication that helped make him a vital part of four Ginebra championships.
One player who stands to benefit the most from Pringle’s presence is Nocum, Rain or Shine’s swirling dervish of a guard who is close to unstoppable in the open court but can be hit-or-miss when the game slows down and defenses key in. The 38-year-old veteran was once one of the quickest, shiftiest, most athletic players in the PBA, and he knew how to use those gifts both in a fast-paced game and in the grind-it-out style. Best-case scenario is he helps Nocum harness his athletic gifts while also taking over.
Stanley Pringle to Rain or Shine Was Long Time Coming
Interestingly, Rain or Shine had a great chance—33%, actually–at acquiring Stanley Pringle in the 2014 PBA Draft. But the Elasto Painters lost out to Globalpart at the 2014 draft lottery, which Guiao infamously panned for lacking credibility and transparency as it involved then PBA Commissioner Chito Salud placing three balls—one with Rain or Shine’s name on it and two with Globalport’s—on a white box no one could see through. He then reached in to grab the winning ball, which turned out to be the Batang Pier. The grand prize, of course, was the no. 1 pick of that year’s draft: Stan the Man.
Eleven long years later, Guiao and Rain or Shine finally got their man—and he might just be the missing piece the Elasto Painters need.
