BARANGAY Ginebra coach Tim Cone isn’t rushing Justin Brownlee into swinging back to action anytime soon in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup.
Cone shared his thoughts on the four-time PBA Best Import shortly after Ginebra registered its first win in the season-ending conference on Saturday following his team’s clinical 115-85 dismantling of Blackwater at the Araneta Coliseum.
“We are not putting anything in stone but I think we owe it to Justin from a loyalty standpoint that when he is ready, he is going to play,” Cone said,
The 38-year-old Brownlee is currently getting treatment and recovering in the United States after being diagnosed with hamstring strain, peroneal tendinopathy in his right leg, and swelling and cartilage defects on his left knee.
The soft-spoken Brownlee actually played through multiple injuries in Gilas’ 106-102 double overtime loss to New Zealand in Auckland in the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers window 3 last July 3.
The injuries then, forced him to miss the Philippines’ 92-49 demolition at the hands of Australia in Perth on July 6.
Cone said giving Brownlee longer time to recover will be better for the Gilas naturalized player.
“The longer Justin has to recuperate and get back, the better it is,” Cone said.
Brownlee’s spot has been taken temporarily by Riley Grigsby, the former G League forward, who scored 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists in the Gin Kings’ 30-point rout of the Bossing.
While Grigsby is no Brownlee, the former Seattle U standout seems to be the right fit as noted by Cone.
“It’s not about how talented he is. It’s how well he fits us. And right now, he’s proving to fit us very well,” shared the Ginebra mentor, the all-time PBA winningest coach with 26 league championships.
Cone added that Grigsby has showed an all-around effort in the little time he’s been with the team.
“Right now, he’s showing us that he’s special that way—he’ll follow game plans, he’ll work on his behind on defense, he’ll go to the boards, he’ll do all the dirty work; it’s not just about scoring for him,” Cone observed.
“He didn’t try to go out and score another 40 points; he stuck to what we wanted him to do,” he added, obviously, referring to Grigsby’s 42-point PBA debut where Ginebra still fell to Phoenix, 81-78. “And, he made some passes tonight.”
Ginebra shoots for a second straight win come Sunday when it clashes with Rain or Shine at the Araneta Coliseum.
