SO far, so good for Riley Grigsby, as he has fit like a glove for Barangay Ginebra in his role as stand-in for resident import Justin Brownlee.
Grigsby put together his second strong showing as Gin Kings reinforcement when he had 18 points, eight rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a block in their blowout 115-85 win over Blackwater last Friday.
READ: Red-hot Ginebra vents ire on Blackwater to get first Govs Cup win
Ginebra coach Tim Cone likes what he is seeing from Grigsby, not just for his strong showings, but also for his acceptance of his role as fill-in for Brownlee, who has been sidelined due to multiple injuries in both legs.
The Gin Kings are not closing the door on bringing back Brownlee, meaning that Grigsby can still be replaced at some point during the PBA 50th Season Governors' Cup that will run until December.
The situation was already known to Grigsby beforehand, and Cone said he accepted it with open arms.
“We were very clear with Riley,” he said. “He came in with his eyes open. He knows that he is following up the GOAT and it’s a tough thing to do. It’s like trying to replace Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. That’s a difficult thing to do."
“He seems to have the perfect character to do that.”
All good with Grigsby
Following the win, Grigsby is now averaging 30 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 block after he had a 42-point outing in a loss to Phoenix Super LPG in their first game.
“It means a lot, honestly,” he said of the victory. “Got the first win out of the way. Phoenix was a rough game. Down the wire, but we lost. We knew coming into the game it will be a tough game. But it feels good.”
Grigsby showed his qualities as team player when one of his adjustments coming into the game against the Bossing was to pass the ball more.
“I assume that they have a scout on me and saw what I did in the first game, obviously. I assume there is going to be more help at the rim, double me on the post. We changed the game plan a little bit. We ran the ball up, and try to be more of a facilitator. I know that I can get my teammates involved, spread the ball more,” he said.
Grigsby and the rest of Ginebra will go for their second straight win when they duel Rain or Shine on Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
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