JUNE Mar Fajardo remained on track of extending his record for the most number of PBA Best Player of the Conference award, while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is looking to retain the Best Import honor as the season-opening Governors Cup is now on its final stage
Based on the latest statistics provided by the league on the eve of Game 1 of the finals, Fajardo and Hollis-Jefferson still leads the race for the two highest individual honors of the conference.
The 34-year-old Fajardo has been consistent in leading the BPC award with his 44.8 statistical points as he logged impressive numbers of 21.0 points, a league-best 16.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.0 blocks in 21 games played for san Miguel in the playoffs.
READ: RHJ has high praise for RJ: 'He's like the Asian Steph Curry'
Not even the Beermen falling short of making the finals following a 4-2 loss against Barangay Ginebra Kings in the semifinals, was enough to topple Fajardo at no. 1.
Fajardo owns 10 BPC awards including the latest one which he won in the last Philippine Cup.
Giving Fajardo a run for his money are Northport’s Arvin Tolentino, Robert Bolick of NLEX, San Miguel teammate CJ Perez, and the duo of Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson of Barangay Ginebra – all of them are official candidates for the BPC honor.
Tolentino ranked second behind Fajardo despite Northport not making the playoffs with 37.5sps as he emerged the top scorer of the conference with 23.7 points. He also had 8.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
At no. 3 is Bolick, the assist leader of the tournament with 8.2 for a 35.9sps, while averaging 19.1 points and 6.2 rebounds, followed by Perez with 33.9sps on numbers of 17.5 pts, 5.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.4 steals.
Tied for no.5 are Aguilar (18.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists), and Thompson (13.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.2 stelas) on similar 32.2sps.
Meanwhile, Hollis-Jefferson shows the way in the Best Import race which has now become a one-on-one duel between him and rival Justine Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra as the Tropang Giga and Kings tangle in the season’s first best-of-seven title series.
Winner of the same award last year when TNT toppled Ginebra in six games of the same conference, the former NBA player amassed 57.4sps behind numbers of 28.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists, while topping both the steals and block shot departments with 2.9 and 1.9, respectively.
The 36-year-old Brownlee, a three-time winner of the Best Import honor, is just behind Hollis-Jefferson with 50.9sps, while averaging 28.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.5 block shots.
EJ Anosike (San Miguel) and Aaron Fuller (Rain or Shine) are the other two official candidates for the award with 44.6 and 41.8sps, respectively, although both the Beermen and Elast Painters didn’t reach the championship round.
Both the BPC and Best Import honors will be handed out in Game 4 of the finals on Nov. 6 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
