Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone was pretty much satisfied with new import Riley Grigsby through the first two games that he played but he insisted that the team isn’t fully closing its door on a possible return for Justin Brownlee.

The veteran mentor was impressed with the 26-year-old forward, who has been doing great in filling in the shoes of the Ginebra resident import.

Grigsby made head turns in his first game, exploding for 42 points although the Kings lost, 78-81, to Phoenix. In his second game – a 115-85 win over Blackwater, he only finished with 18 points but did a little bit of everything after also compiling eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block.

“We didn't give him a lot of help in the first game and he kind of took it upon himself to keep us in the game. And today, he came in, we talked about it, again, ball movement and moving the people and he really stuck to that,” Cone said of Grigsby.

“He stuck to what we wanted him to do. And he's showing us that he's special that way. Follow game plans, working behind the defense, he'll go to the boards, he'll do all the dirty work,” he added.

“It's not about how talented he is, it's how well he fits us. And right now he's proven to fit us very well.”

Even with Grigsby doing well, however, Cone stressed that the door remained open for a possible return for Brownlee, especially whenever he’s ready and back on his top shape.

And Grigsby is very much aware of the situation.

“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,” said Cone.

“The longer Justin has to recuperate and get back, the better it is. We were very clear with Riley that he's coming with eyes wide open. He knows that he's following up the GOAT, and it's a tough thing to do and he seems to have the perfect character to do that. But he's coming with eyes wide open.”