BARANGAY Ginebra coach Tim Cone is unperturbed despite PBA teams cashing in on the no height restriction on imports in the coming Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup.
While PBA squads are maximizing the opportunity by bringing in big imports led by defending champion TNT, which is parading NBA veteran Bol Bol, Cone said they are banking on familiarity as they elected to stick with three-time PBA Best Import Justin Brownlee.
Cone said the 37-year-old Brownlee has been a tried and tested reinforcement, who has led Ginebra to three PBA titles, while making sure the Gin Kings are always in the semifinals at the very least.
“Justin is still Justin. I really felt he really plays his best in big import conference, and I feel that’s where he’s most effective. He won multiple championships there,” Cone said, noting how Brownlee’s leadership and winning mentality helped him lead the Gin Kings to the Commissioner’s Cup championships in 2018 and 2022-2023 seasons.
In the Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup, Brownlee led Ginebra back to the Finals, following a Governors’ Cup loss to TNT in the title series. The Gin Kings pushed Rondae Hollis-Jefferson to seven games before losing to the Tropang 5G in the Finals.
“He’s always gotten us at least in the semis, not anything less than that. The last time they had the whole bunch of big imports, we wound up in the finals, with Rondae and Justin, the two smallest imports,” stressed Cone.
Brownlee at 6-foot-4 may be the shortest, but Cone stressed that basketball continues to be a team sport.
Brownlee is expected to be sharp and lethal by the time the Commissioner’s Cup kicks off on March 11.