By REYNALD MAGALLON
As CJ Perez solidifies his status as one of league’s legitimate superstars and San Miguel’s main weapons, veteran teammate Chris Ross sees the Most Valuable Player award now on the horizon for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference and Finals MVP.
Ross, who has taken Perez under his wings ever since he got traded to the Beermen in 2021, raved at the growth of the 30-year-old guard and believed it’s only a matter of time for him to bag his first season MVP award.
“That’s the next step,” said Ross. “It’s hard when you got the seven-time MVP on your team but that’s the next step for CJ. He’s on the right trajectory to do that. I’m happy for him.”
After settling for runners up finishes in the BPC race in all of the three conferences last season, Perez had taken a huge leap in his game during the Commissioner’s Cup on his way to claiming his first BPC and Finals MVP citations.
More than that, Perez proved that he could be the go-to-guy for the Beermen especially after exploding for 24 of his 28 points in the 104-102 title-clinching Game 6 win over Magnolia.
He made the big plays down the stretch, first assisting on Ross’ go ahead triple before drilling one of his own that served as the dagger to the Hotshots in the waning minutes.
Ross pointed out that Perez has grown into a much more complete player now for SMB.
“CJ has learned so much since he’s been with our team. He has learned to play the game of basketball. He’s always been a talented scorer but he’s now learning how to actually play the game,” Ross said of his younger backcourt running mate.
“His IQ is on the rise and he’s making the right plays, not forcing shots. I told him at a dinner maybe a month ago that I am proud of him and how his game has grown since the time that he’s been with this team,” he added.
With the impressive performance in the conference, Perez put himself in a prime position for an early consideration for an MVP plum in the 48th Season. That isn’t entirely far-fetched though, especially with the Beermen remaining a heavy favorite in the upcoming all-Filipino conference.
“Sky is the limit for him. He’s turning that corner. Like I said he’s always been a great scorer but now he’s actually learning how to play the game of basketball. That’s a big step.”
