WHO else but June Mar Fajardo?
The San Miguel Beer star is again lording it over in the race for the PBA Commissioner's Cup Best Player of the Conference halfway through the elimination phase.
Fajardo posted a 44.8 statistical point average to lead over the quartet of Arvin Tolentino (Northport), Robert Bolick (NLEX), Calvin Oftana (TNT), and rookie Jordan Heading (Converge).
Owner of the most BPC honors won with 10, the 6-foot-10 eight-time MVP is averaging 19.8 points, a league-best 17.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists for the reigning champion Beermen in the latest statistical points standings released by the league after the holiday break.
Fajardo's recent BPC crown came in the season-opener Governors' Cup.
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Tolentino is within striking distance of Fajardo at no. 2 with 40.8sps as he leads the conference in scoring with a 24.7 average, while adding 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.1 block shots in an all-around showing for the league-leading Batang Pier.
Bolick, a consistent BPC contender like Tolentino, is the league's top assist man with a 7.9 average and normed 24.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.1 steals to place at no. 3 with 37.6sps followed by Oftana who has 34.3sps behind numbers of 21.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.
And Heading? The Converge freshman is also making a strong case for the conference's highest individual award with 33.1sps to land at no. 5. The Fil-Australian rookie owns a team-best 17.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 6.8 assists.
Meanwhile, the do-it-all Mike Watkins of NLEX tops the race in the Best Import award, leading over the likes of previous winners Justine Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra and TNT's Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Watkins owns 54.9sps as he shows the way in rebounding (24.1) and block shots (3.0) among imports. He averages 25.4 points and 1.9 assists per game.
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A surprise second is Northport's Kadeem Jack (50.7sps) with 30.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game, while Brownlee, a three-time winner of the award with the Kings, is a close third with 50.2sps (28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks).
Donovan Smith of Phoenix and Rain or Shine's Dean Thompson made up the Top 5. Smith (30.8 points, 13.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.7 blocks) occupies the fourth spot with 49.5sps, while Thompson (20.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, a league-best 2.5 steals, and 2.3 blocks) is at no. 5 with 48.3sps.
George King, who leads all imports in scoring with 37.2 points, placed at sixth spot (47.8sps), two notches above two-time winner Hollis-Jefferson (28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks), who owns a 47.3sps.
Completing the Top 10 in the BPC race are Northport's Joshua Munzon (32.9sps) at no. 6 while leading the conference in steals with 2.4, followed by Chris Newsome of Meralco (32.6sps), Converge's Alec Stockton (31.4sps), Barangay Ginebra's Scottie Thompson (29.5sps), and Rain or Shine's Leonard Santillan (27.8sps). (RG)
