The small forward spot has been quite an interesting position to watch in the 2016-2017 PBA Philippine Cup. It remains to be populated by some of the most versatile players in the country — guys who can spot minutes at PF and on the wings. Swingmen nowadays should be able to shoot from long range, attack the basket, and defend the opposing team's best wingman among others. Some SFs are even as tall as other teams' big men (paging Sean Anthony, Alex Mallari, and Gabe Norwood). Here we list down the five most productive SFs of the first conference. We have two former Rookies of the Year, a leading candidate for this season's Rookie of the Year, a potential Most Improved Player, and your token grizzled veteran.
5. Alex Mallari (MAH) - 15.9ppg, 6.8rpg, 4.2apg, 1.5spg, 1.1 triples per game.
- It was not surprising that Mahindra was eliminated in the Philippine Cup. They are after all, not the deepest or most experienced team in the league, but if there was one really bright spot for them last conference it was Alex Mallari, who showcased a facet of his game that we've never seen before. He scored upwards of 15 points in 7 of Mahindra's 11 games last conference, including a 30-point explosion against NLEX. This early, he is already the leading candidate to be Most Improved Player
4. Mac Belo (BLA) - 15.1ppg, 7.6rpg, 1.5apg, 1.3spg, 1.1 triples per game.
- You cannot be faulted if you think Belo is no rookie. He scored 14 or more points in 7 of Blackwater's 11 games, leading the team in scoring and proving how pro-ready he is. He has shown proficiency on both ends of the floor, and that's a huge reason he has shot up the tiers to be among the best swingmen in the league. His best game was dropping 25 points, grabbing 6 rebounds, netting 3 steals, and blocking 2 shots against Meralco. The upside is so great for the former King Tamaraw, and it will be fun to see just how good he can really be at this level.
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3. Calvin Abueva (ALA) - 16.8ppg, 9.0rpg, 2.4apg, 1.4spg, 1.4bpg, 1.1 triples per game.
- Calvin was held back a bit by injury in the elims of the previous conference, but he reminded everyone why he's called the Beast in the quarterfinals against Ginebra. In that series, Abueva averaged 24.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steal, 2.0 blocks, and 1.5 triples per game. It was all for naught as the Aces were knocked off by the Gin Kings, but it certainly was not for Abueva's lack of trying. Not surprisingly, he has been called up for national team duty again, and he should be a shoo-in for the final roster of Gilas Pilipinas this year.
2. Sean Anthony (NLX) - 14.3ppg, 10.7rpg, 2.6apg, 1.3spg.
- Like Abueva, Anthony was hampered by injury last conference, but when the Fil-Canadian was on the floor, he was hella productive. The 6'4 combo forward normed a sublime double-double in his nine Philippine Cup games, with his best performance a 22-point, 16-rebound losing effort against Rain or Shine. At 31 years old, Anthony will probably have to rest a lot more, but that should not diminish his capacity for big time production too much. He was NLEX's best player in the Philippine Cup, and he can still be their best player as the rest of the season unfolds.
1. Chris Newsome (MER) - 15.6ppg, 7.8rpg, 5.4apg, 1.4spg.
- Save for a 2-point outlier against Phoenix where he shot 1-of-9 from the field, Newsome was nothing short of awesome for the Bolts last conference. He reinforced the notion of being one of the elite wingmen in the league, which came about after he pocketed last season's ROY award. The 6'2 Fil-American continues to be a headache for opposing coaches, though Meralco still has a long way to go in terms of surrounding the former Blue Eagle with the kind of talent that can take the Bolts over the hump.
Honorable Mention:
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JC Intal (PHX) - 13.2ppg, 5.3rpg, 1.9apg, 1.6 triples per game.
Allein Maliksi (STA) - 14.2ppg, 3.4rpg, 2.4 triples per game.
Gabe Norwood (ROS) - 9.1ppg, 5.3rpg, 1.9apg, 1.0spg.
