CHICAGO - Ginebra's move of activating 40-year old LA Tenorio in time for the PBA Philippine Cup playoffs emphasized the importance of guard play.
Because even with the 1-2 punch of Stephen Holt and RJ Abarrientos sharing playmaking chores at a rate of a combined 29.4 points and 6.8 assists per game, the Kings still felt adding Tinyente to the mix was imperative.
Over at San Miguel, CJ Perez helped the Beermen annex the No. 1 seed, thanks to his 23.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game output during the elimination round.
READ LA Tenorio activated by Ginebra for PBA playoffs
Robert Bolick, meanwhile. towed NLEX to the No. 2 spot with a production of 18.2 points and 7.1 assists an outing while hitting 33.3 percent from 3.
Magnolia, on the other hand, crested at No. 3 with a trio of court generals in veteran Mark Brrocca, Jerom Lastimosa and Peter Alfaro.
GUN FOR HIRE.
Still, there's one intriguing talent that will be available soon for teams wanting to shore up their backcourt.
Stanley Pringle.
According to a source, the 6-foot-1, 185-lb shooting guard's last contract expired at the end of Terrafirma's damned campaign in the Philippine Cup, making him an unrestricted free agent under the league's new free agency rules.
Unchained by rights being owned by his mother team, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2014 PBA Draft is free to sign with any team - unless the league has special arrangements on Terrafirma's players amid negotiations for its sale.
Is he bound for a new home?
No one knows but sources revealed that the 2015 Rookie of the Year is here in the US and multiple attempts to reach him and his American agent proved futile.
NEXT CHAPTER.
Moving forward, though, Pringle will be a valuable acquisition for either a contender needing a push for a title run or a young squad desperate for leadership and locker room presence.
At age 38, the seven-time All-Star and five-time PBA champion has shown that he still has some juice left after turning pro in the 2009-10 season when he toiled with the Leuven Bears of the Belgian League,
Despite playing for a perennially losing franchise that was reported to be for sale at the beginning of the conference, Pringle soldiered through 11 games of distraction and averaged 13.1 points while nailing 37.2 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.
A fresh start, a change of scenery can perhaps reinvigorate his career.
But where?
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