DO-IT-ALL import Riley Grigsby remains on standby for Barangay Ginebra after all.
Coach Tim Cone said while the team expects Justin Brownlee to be back in action by October when the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup elimination resumes, the 26-year-old Grigsby could still come back and play.
“Riley will stay on call for us. And if something happens to Justin or he couldn’t make it, there’s a good chance that we bring Riley back,” Cone said.
Ginebra headed into the seven-week break with a two-game losing skid, including last Friday’s 97-88 loss to Meralco.
The Gin Kings are slumped at the bottom of the Group B standings with their 2-4 record as the league takes a break to give way for Cone and Gilas to prepare and compete for the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, in September.
Grigsby headed back to the United States last Monday after averaging 31.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.6 blocks in a solid pinch-hitting job through six games stint with the Gin Kings.
The former G League forward netted a solid double-double output of 34 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to the Bolts.
“I just wished that I’ve done better for Riley. He is such a good guy. We really wanted to play better for him, and we didn’t, and I wanted to coach better for him, but I didn’t,” Cone said.
