Darating na ngayon ang replacement import ng Ginebra sa PBA Governors’ Cup na si Justin Brownlee pero nakikisimpatiya pa rin si coach Tim Cone kay Paul Harris.

“I know how excited he is to be here with his new wife. It seemed like a perfect situation for him and for us,” ani Cone kay Harris. “I can’t help but feel sorry for him.”

Nabalian ng kanang hinlalaki sa kamay si Harris sa first game ng Gin Kings sa season-ending tournament at isang buwan na mawawala.

Habang nagpapahinga ang original import, tinapik muna ang kaibigan ni Harris na si Brownlee na inaasahang ready nang sumabak sa susunod na laro ng Ginebra kontra Alaska sa Linggo.

Ready, pero hindi tulad ng pagkakahasa na ni Harris.

“We spent a whole month with Paul teaching the system and getting along with the guys,” lahad ni Cone.

Dinala pa raw ni Harris dito ang asawa at dalawang anak para mapanood siyang maglaro sa PBA.

“He is such a great energy guy and I always felt that it’s one thing we always lacked since I’ve taken over Ginebra,” dagdag ng coach. “Really, that day-in and day-out, that drive and passion, and Paul brought that to us every day. We’ll really miss that.”

Posibleng mas mahaba pa ang recovery ni Harris, baka nga hindi pa makabalik sakaling makasama ang Gins sa top eight teams na bibiyahe sa quarterfinals. Malamang out na rin sa buong conference si Greg Slaughter na inoperahan sa paa pero tuloy ang laban ng Ginebra.

“Those are the kinds of things that build character and you have to overcome,” diin ni Cone.

“That’s how you build character. We’ll keep battling and overcoming.”