MANILA – NorthPort Batang Pier’s Stanley Pringle was on top in terms of numbers but it was still June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beermen who is tipped to bag the 2017-2018 PBA Season MVP award.
Pringle, the 2015 Rookie of the Year awardee, was ahead in the race with a cumulative average of 35.5 statistical points (SPs), Fajardo, who is eyeing for his fifth straight MVP, was second with 33.1 SPs.
Pringle surged to the top of MVP race after accumulating 34 SPs in the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup despite playing for eight games, while Fajardo tallied 10.67 SPs in three games he played.
Fajardo, however, was favored for the MVP trophy for winning the Best Player of the Conference award in the Philippine and Commissioner’s Cup while also leading the Beermen to fourth straight All-Filipino title.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings’ Japeth Aguilar is at third with 32.3, followed by Pringle’s teammate Sean Anthony (31.3) and Matthew Wright of Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters (30.0).
Also in the race are Beermen’s Marcio Lassiter (29.80), Arwind Santos (29.77) and Alex Cabagnot (29.74), Kings’ Earl Scottie Thompson (29.6) and NLEX Road Warriors’ John Paul Erram (28.5).
Magnolia Hotshots’ Paul Lee was also a contender for MVP trophy for winning the Best Payer of the Conference award in the Governor’s Cup but is way way behind in statistical numbers.
The winner of the PBA MVP award as well as the PBA Rookie of the Year will be announced during the PBA Leo Awards, which will be held during the 2019 PBA Philippine Cup opener on Jan. 13./PN
