FROM No. 2 halfway through the eliminations, hardworking Ginebra big man Christian Standhardinger has climbed to the top of the race for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup best player of the conference award.
The 6-foot-8 Fil-German overtook San Miguel Beer star and reigning seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo after tallying 38.0 statistical points (SPs) at the close of the eliminations last Sunday.
Standhardinger amassed impressive numbers of 17.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.2 steals in 11 games with the third-seed Kings.
A fractured left hand the 6-foot-10 Fajardo suffered that kept him out of action for six weeks left him out of the running in the latest statistical race released by the pro league two days ago.
Fajardo’s San Miguel teammate and perennial contender CJ Perez and the upstart pair of TNT’s Calvin Oftana and Arvin Tolentino of Northport are left to crowd out Standhardinger–last year’s best player in the Governors’ Cup–for the season-opening tourney’s highest individual plum.
Perez is running second with 35.2 SPs (16.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists), followed closely by Tolentino with 35.1 SPs (a conference-best 22.4 points and 5.7 rebounds), and Oftana with 35.0 SPs (21.9 points and 6.6 rebounds).
Former MVP Scottie Thompson of Ginebra completed the top five with 32.5 SPs (11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 7.6 assists).
One other King, two from Magnolia, and one each from Meralco and Phoenix round out the next five spots.
Maverick Ahanmisi also contends for the BPC award right in his first season with Ginebra, taking the sixth spot with 31.3 SPs (14.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists), followed by the Hotshots duo of Jio Jalalon (12.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists), and Mark Barroca (13.8 points and 5.1 assists) with 31.2 and 29.2 SPs, respectively.
Chris Newsome (13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists) of the Bolts occupies the ninth spot with 28.4 SPs, and at No. 10 is Jason Perkins (13.2 points, 6.2 rebounds) of the Fuel Masters with 27.33 SPs.
A pair of replacements are showing the way in the best reinforcement derby.
Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson of TNT is currently at No. 1 with 67.5 SPs in just two games after taking over from his younger brother Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. He banners the imports in scoring with 42.5 points, while adding 12.5 rebounds, 7.5 assists, and 2.5 steals.
