Lalo pang lumakas ang pagkakataong makopo muli ng Barangay Ginebra San Miguel ang PBA All-Filipino title dahil na rin sa pagbabalik-aksyon ng mahusay na point guard nito na si Stanley Pringle.
Ito ang kinumpirma ni Gin Kings coach Tim Cone sa nakaraang Media Day ng liga sa Novotel, Cubao, Quezon City nitong Huwebes, Hunyo 2.
Pagdidiin ni Cone, nakarekober na si Pringle sa knee injury na natamo nito sa kasagsagan ng 2021 PBA Governors' Cup.
Isang beses lang nakapaglaro si Pringle sa naturang kumperensya kung saan naka-iskor lamang ito ng pito sa pagkapanalo ng kanyang koponan laban sa Alaska, 80-77 noong Disyembre.
"Stan [is] pain-free.In terms of his game and in terms of his full athleticism and explosiveness, I think he still has a ways to go. I'd say he's about 80, 85%. But he's back fully in practice, he will be available for Game 1, unless something happens, for the first game of the season," banggit ni Cone.
"We expect him to play in the conference, but I still think he's building strength, and that's gonna be an on-going process, I think, through the elims," anito.
Bukod kay Pringle, inaasahang makalalaro na rin ang center/power forward ng Gin Kings na si Japeth Aguilar na nagkaroon ng calf injury kaya nalimitahanang paglalaro nito sa Governors' Cup Finals.
Paniniyak ni Cone, 100 porsyento na ang paglalaro ni Aguilar dahil tinanggal na ang restrictions sa kanya.
"You do worry that with a calf injury, they can always recur. That's one of the things that calf injuries do, they recur. But I think he's far enough away right now that we don't have to worry about that, specifically. He does do daily stuff to prepare that calf for practice every day, and games. I think that's something he'll have to do for the rest of his career," lahad pa ni Cone.
Nakatakdang maglaro ang Gin Kings kalaban ang Blackwater Bossing sa Ynares Center sa Antipolo sa Hunyo 12.