HAVING won seven MVP awards, San Miguel Beer star June Mar Fajardo can no longer ask for anything more.
But it won’t hurt if he wins just one more.
The 6-foot-10 Fajardo leads the MVP race in the PBA’s 48th season with an average of 42.1 statistical points after leading the Beermen to two straight finals stints, including a title conquest in the Commissioner’s Cup opposite the Magnolia Hotshots, their sister team.
Fajardo showed the way in the board battle with 13.4 rebounds per game.
He also normed 17.8 points, 2.8 assists and 1.7 block shots to bag the Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference.
The winner of the coveted individual plum will be announced during the Leo Awards that will highlight the opening of the league’s 49th season next month.
Fajardo stretched his personal record by winning a seventh MVP trophy last season, a feat unprecedented in Asia’s first play-for-pay league history.
Out to spoil Fajardo’s coronation are Ginebra center Christian Standhardinger and SMB teammate CJ Perez.
Standhardinger is No. 2 in the derby with 37.8 SPs built on 19.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, while Perez, winner of the Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference, follows in third with 37.4 SPs after averaging 18.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 steals.
Completing the top five in the MVP race are Arvin Tolentino of Northport and TNT’s Calvin Oftana with 35.9 SPs and 35.4 SPs, respectively.
Terrafirma’s Stephen Holt is a cinch to win the Rookie of the Year honor.
The Fil-Am guard and No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, leads the race among freshmen with 34.1 SPs. He leads all newcomers in scoring (17.0 points), assists (5.5), and steals (1.9) while running at No. 6 in the fight for the highest award.
Holt led the Dyip to a maiden stint in the quarterfinals in eight years last season in the import-less tilt.
Batang Pier’s Cade Flores is second behind Holt with 23.3 SPs while leading all rookies in rebounding with 9.3 caroms.
Adrian Nocum of Rain or Shine (21.8 SPs), Ken Tuffin of Phoenix (21.5 SPs), and Blackwater’s Christian David (17.8 SPs), the second overall pick last season, complete the top five.
