By REYNALD MAGALLON
San Miguel Beer star June Mar Fajardo takes command in the Best Player of the Conference race while NLEX import Mike Watkins paces the Best Import derby halfway through the eliminations of the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.
The eight-time Most Valuable Player remains the yardstick for the locals with his usual challengers in NorthPort’s Arvin Tolentino and NLEX’s Robert Bolick emerging as his top competition based on the statistical race as of Dec. 25.
In the statistical point standings provided by PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III on Tuesday, Jan. 7, Fajardo emerged on top of the ladder with 44.8 statistical points after registering solid averages of 19.8 points, 17.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.8 blocks per contest.
Not far behind was Tolentino at the second spot with 40.6 SPs followed by Bolick at third with 37.6 SPs. Tolentino, through seven games, is averaging 24.7 pts to go with 8.0 rebs, 3.3 asts, 1.0 stls and 1.1 blks while Bolick has 24.1 pts, 3.1 rebs, 7.9 asts and 1.1 stls
All the top three players are leading the locals in three major categories with Tolentino leading the scoring, Fajardo the rebounding and Bolick the assists department.
TNT’s Calvin Oftana and Converge’s rookie Jordan Heading complete the Top 5 with the former collecting 34.3 SPs while the latter amassing 33.1 SPs. Oftana is averaging 21.8 pts, 7.3rebs, 2.0asts while HEading has 17.1 pts, 4.3 rebs and 6.8 asts.
Tolentino’s running mate and NorthPort defensive lynchpin Joshuan Munzon is at the sixth spot with 32.9 SPs, followed by Meralco’s Chris Newsome with 32.6 SPs and Converge’s Alec Stockton with 31.4.
Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson (29.5 SPs) and Rain or Shine’s Santi Santillan (27.8 SPs) round out the Top 10.
In the Best Import race, Watkins collected 54.9 SPs, built on averages 25.4 pts, league-leading 24.1 rebs and 3.0 blks to go with 1.9asts and 0.4 asts to slightly edge NorthPort’s Kadeem Jack and Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee for the top spot.
Jack, who is the main reason why the Batang Pier remained atop the standings, has averages of 30.3 pts, 11.9 rebs, 1.4 asts, 1.6 stls and 1.7 blks to garner 50.7 SPs while Brownlee has 28.0 pts, 10.0 rebs, 4.5 asts, 1.2 stls and 1.2 blks to amass a total of 50.2 SPs.
Phoenix’s Donovan Smith (49.5 SPs) and Rain or Shine’s Deon Thompson (48.3 SPs) also finished at the Top 5 of the race.
Over at the rookies, Heading is at the top newcomer followed by RJ Abarrientos who just missed the Top 10 in the BPC race by just one place after registering 27.7 SPs. NorthPort’s Evan Nelle is the third -best rookie this conference with 26.3 SPs followed by Jerom Lastimosa of Magnolia with 21.1 SPs and Felix Pangilinan-Lemetti of Rain or Shine with 20.8 SPs.
