By REYNALD MAGALLON
The 2024 PBA All-Star is fast shaping up as the Barangay Ginebra show as it took the first five slots after the first and partial returns since the poll began on Dec. 3.
Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson, last season’s All-Star captains, emerged as the leaders so far with the veteran forward amassing 24,372 votes followed by the one-time league MVP with 17,328 votes.
Just like last season, the top two vote-getters of the All-Star poll will get the chance to draft their players from the initial top 24 players.
Six more players will then be added to the pool after being picked by coaches and members of the press for weekend festivities set in Bacolod City.
Joining Aguilar and Thompson in the top 5 were Christian Standhardinger (15,400), LA Tenorio (15,390) and Jamie Malonzo (15,014).
San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo was the first non-Ginebra player to crack the Top 10, ending up at sixth with 14,902 votes followed by Ginebra player Maverick Ahanmisi (13,654) and Stanley Pringle (13,216).
C Perez of SMB (11,432) and Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort (11,092) rounded out the top 10.
Similar to the players voting, the coaches of last all-stars, Ginebra head coach Tim Cone and Rain or Shine mentor Yeng Guiao still emerged as frontrunners to this year’s edition.
Cone collected 28,110 votes followed by Guiao who had 11,494 votes. Far third in the poll was the head coach of league-pacing Magnolia Chito Victolero with 7,180 votes.
Calvin Abueva (10,606), Eric Camson (10,606) Calvin Oftana (10,330), Chris Newsome (10,252) Paul Lee (9,408), John Pinto (9,038), James Yap (8,800), Jayson Castro (8,568), Terrence Romeo (7,944), Mark Barroca (7,898), Jeremiah Gray (7,052), Von Pessumal (6,752), Marcio Lassiter (6,442), and Jio Jalalon (5,914) complete the Top 24.
