CALVIN Oftana is making a belated push in his bid for a first ever PBA Best Player of the Conference award.
The TNT forward is expected to give Arvin Tolentino of Northport a run for his money in the BPC plum of the Commissioner’s Cup especially with the Tropang Giga making it to the finals against Barangay Ginebra.
Oftana and Tolentino are two of the candidates for the top individual award of the conference along with San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo, Robert Bolick of NLEX, and Converge rookie Jordan Heading as per the official list released by the league prior to the best-of-seven finals.
With both the Tropang Giga and Batang Pier reaching the semis, the race appeared to have been reduced between the two even though Fajardo (42.0 statistical points) and Bolick (37.1sps) occupied the top two spots in the standings.
Fajardo and Bolick, however, failed to reach the playoffs.
Despite the obvious dip in his game during Northport’s five-game loss against Ginebra in the semis, Tolentino remained in third spot with 36.3sps while submitting numbers of 20.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks in carrying the Batang Pier to their first semifinal stint in six years.
For Oftana, it could be a hard climb to the top.
The former NCAA MVP from San Beda actually fell to fifth place in the standings with 31.9sps after being overtaken by Heading at no. 4 with 32.6sps.
Oftana averaged 18.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.9 assists as the Tropang Giga made it back to the finals after winning the season-opening Governors’ Cup championship at the expense of Barangay Ginebra.
RHJ running away with Best Import award
It’s not the case as far as the race in the Best Import award is concerned.
Two-time winner Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is on top of the list with 52.7sps built around impressive numbers of 28.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.9 steals, and a league-high 1.8 block shots in anchoring anew TNT’s bid for a second straight title.
His closest pursuer is Kadeem Jack of Northport with 49.8sps although the Batang Pier fell to secure a first ever finals berth in franchise history despite the import averaging 31.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.2 blocks.
Rain or Shine’s Deon Thompson is at no. 3 with 48.8sps, while Ginebra’s Justine Brownlee, winner of the award three times in the past, ranked fourth with 43.5sps.
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