For a lot of PBA fans, it's a little harder to see the sheen in our local talents in a conference like the Commissioner's Cup, where gigantic imports rule the roost. Still, there is something to be said about locals who have stepped up and made big differences for their respective ballclubs. This is the first edition of our weekly look at the Best Player of the Conference race in the 2017 PBA Commish Cup. For this initial offering, I've constrained the selection to players who have played at least twice already, which is why you won't find any Beermen here (yet).
5. Japeth Aguilar (GIN) - 14.0ppg, 9.0rpg, 2.5apg, 3.5bpg, 52.4 FG%.
- For what it's worth, I think Japeth has really become as star in this league. I guess all he needed was a nudge in the right frame of mind, and, strangely enough, Greg Slaughter's injury and being in the country's most popular pro team has done wonders for the 6'9 big man's confidence. It's not surprising, then how Japeth has averaged close to a double-double this conference, but the ultimate question is — as it is always with him — can he keep this up?
4. Jio Jalalon (STA) - 12.3ppg, 4.8rpg, 3.3apg, 2.5spg.
- Jio stumbled out of the Commish Cup gates with a whimper against Phoenix, but he has since been nothing short of stellar. The man dubbed "The Bus Driver" has scored at least 14 points and stolen the ball an average of 3 times in each of the Hotshots' last three contests. If you're still wondering why Star felt like they could afford to let Paul Lee go, then look no further than this kid.
3. Jayson Castro (TNT) - 11.5ppg, 2.5rpg, 8.5apg, 1.0bpg.
- Scoring under 12 a game is worse than pedestrian by Castro's standards. Don't let that fool you, though, because great players like him always find other ways to do damage, and he has done so by being a superb facilitator for TNT. Castro has normed close to 9 dimes a game this conference, and if that's not proof enough of how willing he is to adjust for the good of the team, then I don't know what is.
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2. Baser Amer (MER) - 16.2ppg, 4.4rpg, 4.6apg, 1.0spg, 1.4 triples per game.
- Jimmy Alapag once said that Amer could be a superstar playmaker in the PBA, and we are seeing why right now. The San Beda alum has been a whirlwind for Meralco, scoring, rebounding, playing tight D, and distributing the ball really well. He has been a huge reason the Bolts are currently 4-1, and if not for the next guy on this list, Amer would be the tournament's best PG overall.
1. Stanley Pringle (GLO) - 25.0ppg, 7.3rpg, 3.3apg, 2.0spg, 3.3 triples per game, 50.0 3pt%.
- Yes, the Batang Pier would certainly rather have even just one win right now, but they can take a bit of comfort in the fact that they have the best local player in the tournament calling the shots on the hardwood. With Terrence Romeo still hampered by health issues, GlobalPort has needed Pringle to step up big time, and the Fil-Am has obliged with aplomb. Now if these mighty impressive numbers can just be translated into wins…
Honorable Mention:
RR Pogoy (TNT) - 18.7ppg, 5.7rpg, 1.7apg, 1.0spg, 2.7 triples per game, 53.3 3pt%.
Calvin Abueva (ALA) - 12.8ppg, 4.8rpg, 2.5apg, 52.8 FG%.
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Jared Dillinger (MER) - 15.0ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.8apg, 2.4 triples per game.
