JUNE Mar Fajardo bids to break his own PBA record as he seeks an eighth straight MVP award in the just concluded Season 48.
The 6-foot-10 San Miguel star and Gilas Pilipinas ace ended the season on top of the MVP race with an average of 42.1 statistical points after leading the Beermen to back-to-back finals appearances, including a championship in the Commissioner's Cup.
Fajardo led the league in rebounding in the season just passed behind an average of 13.4 boards. He also normed 17.8 points, 2.8 assists and 1.7 block shots and won the Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference.
Last year, the 34-year-old Cebuano big man stretched his personal record by winning a seventh MVP trophy - a feat unprecedented in the entire PBA history.
Out to give Fajardo a run for his money are Christian Standhardinger of Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel teammate CJ Perez.
Sponsored content: Standhardinger is at no. 2 in the standings with 37.8 statistical points behind numbers of 19.2 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, while Perez, winner of the Commissioner's Cup Best Player of the Conference, follows at no. 3 with 37.4 statistical points after averaging 18.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 steals.
Completing the Top 5 in the MVP standings are Arvin Tolentino of Northport and TNT's Calvin Oftana with 35.9sps and 35.4sps, respectively.
Meanwhile, Terrafirma's Stephen Holt is favored to win the Rookie of the Year honor.
The Fil-Am guard and no. 1 overall pick in last year's draft, leads the race among rookie players with 34.1sps He leads all freshmen in scoring (17.0 points), assists (5.5), and steals (1.9) while running at no. 6 in the MVP standings.
Holt helped the Dyip reached the playoffs for the first time in eight years last season as the team made it to the quarterfinals of the All-Filipino conference.
Sponsored content: Northport's Cade Flores is second behind Holt with 23.3sps while leading all rookies in rebounding with 9.3 boards.
Adrian Nocum of Rain or Shine (21.8sps), Ken Tuffin of Phoenix (21.5sps), and Blackwater's Christian David (17.8sps), the no.2 overall pick last season, made it to the Magic Five.(RG)
