Three players from grand slam champion team San Mig Super Coffee will be feted by Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Press Corps during its 2014 Annual Awards Night on Aug. 21 at the Richmond Hotel in Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City.
For the third time in his career, forward Marc Pingris was chosen as Defensive Player of the Year – the same award bestowed on him last year and in 2006.
Pingris, who averaged 9.75 points and 7.44 rebounds last season, now ties former Shell stopper Chris Jackson, who also won the award in 1998, 1999, and 2001.
San Mig teammates Peter June Simon and Mark Barroca meanwhile, are recipients of the Quality Minutes and Order of Merit awards, respectively.
Simon comes off the bench for the Mixers as a potent offensive weapon of coach Tim Cone. He averages 13.52 points, 3.39 assists, and 1.64 assists in a special season that saw the Mixers complete a sweep of all three finals conferences.
Barroca was the automatic choice as Order of Merit Awardee for the number of times he was named Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week winner. He averaged 10.72 points, 3.83 rebounds, and 2.68 assists.
Also to be honored on this special night backed by PBA, Alaska, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Barako Bull, Blackwater Sports, Globalport, Kia Motors, Meralco, NLEX, Rain or Shine, San Mig Super Coffee, San Miguel Beer and Talk ‘N Text are two other players who made a huge impact last season.
Air21’s Asi Taulava will be the latest recipient of the Bogs Adornado Comeback Player of the Year award, while Talk ’N Text’s Jayson Castro is going to be honored as Scoring Champion.
In his first full season back in the PBA, Taulava, the oldest player in the league at 41, showed he can still be a dominant force inside by averaging 14.75 points and 12.38 rebounds last season that saw him figure in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) derby eventually won by June Mar Fajardo.
Castro, the versatile guard of Talk `N Text, meanwhile averaged a league-best 16.78 points last season.