BARANGAY Ginebra needs all the help it can get especially with top scoring option Stanley Pringle out for the rest of the 2021 PBA Governors Cup.
And so it was like a breath of air when veteran guard John Pinto fell on the lap of the Kings through unrestricted free agency.
Coach Tim Cone said the arrival of the stocky 5-foot-11 playmaker is definitely a big boost to Ginebra’s backcourt that was mainly being manned by LA Tenorio following the injuries to Pringle and big guard Jared Dillinger.
Sophomore Kent Salado serves as the only back-up to the 37-year-old Tenorio.
“We wanted to provide depth to our guard position because of Stanley’s absence,” said Cone. “We like him because he brings a lot of toughness and experience to the position.”
A second-round pick in the 2014 draft, Pinto opted to exercise his right as an unrestricted free agent after failing to come to terms with Meralco.
Three-year deal
On Friday, he signed a three-year deal with Ginebra.
Pinto, a product of Arellano University, had been through various ‘wars’ in his two-year stay with the Bolts, including the 2019 Governors Cup finals against Ginebra, which the Kings won in five games.
He was also with the Bolts in their back-to-back semifinals stint in the last two Philippine Cup bubbles.
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