It comes as no surprise for Coach Tim Cone that Prince Caperal has been contributing so well offensively for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel this early in the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup.
The 6-foot-7 slotman turned in a career-high outing versus Blackwater on Thursday night. He scored 24 points on a 9-of-14 shooting alongside six rebounds and three assists to lead the Gin Kings to the 103-99 victory.
Caperal upped the ante this time around after chipping in 11 markers and three boards in their 102-92 triumph over NLEX on opening day last Sunday, where he was part of the starting unit.
And it is his sweet shooting from beyond the arc that has shone vividly in the last two games. He went a perfect 3-of-3 versus the Road Warriors, before going 5-of-7 against the Elite.
“We knew from day one when we got Prince that he could shoot the ball,” Cone said post-game. “That’s never been his problem. He could always, always shoot the ball.
“He’s always been a good three-point shooter, and he’s continued to work on it and he’s got even better. And he’s pretty much lights-out from the three at this point.”
Cone feels proud watching Caperal deliver, especially after playing behind the twin towers of Greg Slaughter and Japeth Aguilar since the Barangay signed him as a free agent back in 2018.
The 27-year-old now has the opportunity to play the five more — his natural position — now that Ginebra treads this season without Slaughter, who took a sabbatical following his contract’s expiration earlier this year.
“Remember he was backing up Greg and Japeth. He is a center by trade, he’s not normally a power forward, so he was playing behind two centers, so he wasn’t getting much time,” Cone said.
“Now with Greg not in here, he’s getting an opportunity to show what he can do,” added the league’s most accomplished mentor.
Still, Cone said that there remains room to grow for Caperal. And the Gin Kings feel excited to see him improve, since they believe he can match and even exceed their expectations.
“He knows, and we know, he still has a lot of areas of his game that he’s still trying to work on. The defensive side, the ball handling side, where to get in position. There’s still a lot to grow in his game, and it’s kind of exciting because we know he can get better,” said the 62-year-old coach.
“Prince is a hard-worker. One of our hardest workers.”
