CHICAGO — With the PBA 50th Season Governors’ Cup set to resume in six days, Ginebra coach Tim Cone gave me his state of the Never Say Die Nation update.
It came in a chunk of text messages that is sure to convey hope, happiness and optimism for countless, sleepless Gin Kings loyalists.
Justin Brownlee is on the mend.
READ: Cone on Brownlee health issue, alleged rift with Ginebra
“He’s had health ( not injury) issues that he had to overcome. He’s better and is talking to us about coming over soon,” Cone told me on Tuesday night.
Constrained by health privacy laws, the concurrent Gilas Pilipinas bench boss couldn’t reveal what medical concern the prolific import is dealing with.
A GINS SIGH OF RELIEF.
But it’s comforting to know that the 38-year old do-it-all forward is heading towards healing.
Most importantly, he’ll be back on Philippine shores.
Still up on the air, though, is when the naturalized Filipino will put on that legendary No. 32 Ginebra jersey.
“We’ll see how it all shakes out in the next few weeks,” Cone said.
Meanwhile, Brownlee’s replacement — Jordan Murphy — hasn’t disappointed.
“Jordan is doing very well. He’s making up for a lot of our team weaknesses, which is what you want in an import,” Cone added.
HIGH STANDARD.
As Ginebra tries to improve on its 2-4 won-lost record in Group B play, Murphy might just be what the doctor ordered.
Although he went underrated in the NBA in 2019, the 6-foot-6, 250-lb forward was a solid US NCAA Division 1 player.
He averaged 13.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 133 games with the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
Though not a terrific 3-point shooter (just 23.2 percent clip during his four-year college stint), the 29-year old hit 49.5 percent from the field overall and 65.9 percent from the free throw line.
Per his NBA scouting report, Murphy is a combo forward with a “high motor” and a voracious appetite for rebounding.
Excellent pick up?
Time will tell, but unfortunately for Murphy, the yardstick for all Ginebra imports is the high bar of Justin Brownlee’s excellence.
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