MANILA – San Miguel Beermen center June Mar Fajardo and NorthPort Batang Pier guard Stanley Pringle are in a tight battle for the Most Valuable Player award in the 2017-2018 PBA season.
Pringle has overtaken Fajardo in the MVP race with 35.5 statistical points (SPs), based on data released by the league. The latter had 33.2 SPs.
Fajardo’s drop was after he suited up for only three games in the ongoing 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup for 11 SPs after suffering stress fracture injury during the preceding Commissioner’s Cup.
Despite the decline, the Cebuano center is still favored to capture his fifth consecutive MVP trophy after bagging the Best Player of the Conference award in the Philippine Cup and the Commissioner’s Cup.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings’ Japeth Aguilar is on third place in the race with 32.9 SPs, followed by Batang Pier’s Sean Anthony (31.3) and Aguilar’s teammate Earl Scottie Thompson (30.8), who is favored for Most Improved Player award.
The next five are Phoenix Petroleum Fuel Masters’ Matthew Wright (30.6), Beermen stars Alex Cabagnot (30.2), Arwind Santos (30.0) and Marcio Lassiter (29.9), and Alaska Aces’ Vic Manuel (29.0).
Meanwhile Fuel Masters’ forward Jason Perkins is the leading contender for the Rookie of the Year award with 23.4 SPs. Behind him is fellow Lasallian Jeron Teng of the Aces (18.3).
Top draft pick Christian Standhardinger of the Beermen and No. 2 selection Kiefer Ravena of NLEX Road Warriors were out of the race as they failed to meet the required minimum number of games./PN
