DEFENDING champion San Miguel Beer tries to avert falling into a 1-3 hole against Meralco tonight in Game 4 of the Big Dance of the PBA Philippine Cup.
Five minutes before tipoff, prized Beermen big man June Mar Fajardo should get an added motivation–if and when he bags a 10th Best Player of the Conference award.
NLEX star Robert Bolick and Terrafirma ace rookie Stephen Holt are crowding Fajardo for the top individual plum in the season-ending conference.
After initially leading the race, Bolick slipped to a close No. 2 with 43.08 SPs after showing the way in the pro league in scoring with 28.3 points, to go with 5.2 rebounds, and 6.5 assists.
But the Road Warriors could only go as far as the quarterfinals after being swept by the Bolts in the Last Eight.
Fajardo, who finished third after the eliminations, and Bolick joined Holt, San Miguel’s CJ Perez, and Christian Standhardinger Ginebra as the official candidates for the BPC plum.
Holt, who also paces the race for the Rookie of the Year award, is currently at No. 3 with 40.8 SPs with all around norms of 21.08 points, 8.1 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 2.4 steals in leading the Dyip to their first playoffs stint in eight years.
Fajardo, 34, amassed 43.12 statistical points on the strength of averages of 17.3 points, 14.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists after the semifinals–and importantly he was at the forefront of the Beermen’s charge to the finals of the import-less tourney.
All top five players in the list are the official candidates for the BPC award, whose criteria is composed of 45 percent average statistical points, 30 percent media votes, and 25 percent players’ votes.
Perez was named BPC of the last Commissioner’s Cup, while Standhardinger won the plum twice in the past.
But a personal award anew in Fajardo’s vast collection of trophies and medals will mean nothing if SMB fails to get the job done anew.
“Maganda iyong depensa nila (Bolts), maganda iyong team game nila, maganda iyong preparation nila,” he said. “Kaya kailangan naming i-counter iyon.”
