SAN MIGUELl Beer star June Mar Fajardo is confident that former teammate Christian Standhardinger will turn a new leaf at NorthPort.
Standhardinger’s 5 1/2 conference stay with the Beermen ended last Oct. 14 when the Fil-German was shipped to the Batang Pier in exchange for Mo Tautuaa as they look to enhance their chances of completing the Grand Slam in the PBA Governors’ Cup.
While sad to see Standhardinger go, Fajardo is also looking forward to see him realize his full potential.
“Maganda yung makakalaro siya doon, makakakuha siya ng maraming time doon,” Fajardo said of Standhardinger, whose time with SMB has been a rollercoaster.
There were high hopes that Standhardinger would form a crack combo with Fajardo in the shaded lane after he was chosen as the top overall pick by SMB in the 2017 draft.
Fajardo and the Beermen had to wait until the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup to welcome Standhardinger in the fold due to his commitments with Hong Kong Eastern in the ASEAN Basketball League.
His performance in the regional league where Standhardinger averaged 22.5 points and 11.7 rebounds have made the Beermen feel more confident of his potential.
After a solid showing in the Commissioner’s Cup, Standhardinger emerged as an early candidate for Best Player of the Conference honors in the Governors’ Cup when he took the cudgels from an injured Fajardo to average 23.3 points and 13.7 rebounds.
His BPC chances quickly ended when the Beermen were eliminated in the quarterfinals. (Jonas Terrado)
