UNLESS disaster strikes, Juan Gomez De Liano is already a cinch to be the PBA Season 50 Rookie of the Year.
The Converge guard is leading the race for the award honoring the top freshman for the league’s silver anniversary by a wide margin.
The no. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft, Gomez De Liano amassed 23.6 statistical points by the end of the mid-season Commissioner’s Cup, giving him the huge edge to win the plum awarded to Barangay Ginebra’s RJ Abarrientos in Season 49.
Coming off an impressive stint with Gilas Pilipinas in the third window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers, the 26-year-old product of University of the Philippines is likewise running third in the race for the MVP award, trailing nine-time winner June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel, and NLEX’s Robert Bolick.
READ: Fajardo on track for 10th PBA season MVP with a conference to go
Gomez De Liano is the only rookie to be in contention for the MVP trophy as he averaged 17.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.0 steals in the first two conferences.
He was also Rookie of the Year for the Fighting Maroons during the UAAP Season 80.
Curiously, sixth round pick and no. 56 overall JM Bravo of Terrafirma is the closest behind Gomez De Liano in the battle for the season’s top rookie.
The Lyceum of the Philippines wingman accumulated 12.4sps behind averages of 9.0 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Magnolia gunner Chris Koon is running third with 9.3sps (5.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists), while another late pick in Blackwater’s James Una – fourth round at no. 38 – ranks fourth with 8.1sps (4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds).
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.
