MANILA – San Miguel Beermen’s Jaymar Perez and Bennie Boatwright Jr. are being tipped to win the 2023-2024 PBA Commissioner’s Cup’s Best Player and Best Import of the Conference awards, respectively.
The said citations are to be handed out before the start of Game 4 of the 2023-2024 PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals between the Beermen and Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Perez made things interesting in the Best Player of the Conference race as he closed in on Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings center Christian Standhardinger based on the statistical points tabulated after the semifinals round.
The Pangasinan-native Perez moved up to second place in the BPC race with 35.5 statistical points (SPs), just 0.2 behind Standhardinger, who remains number one with 35.7 SPs.
Perez made the jump following his consistent offensive performance for the Beermen when they dethroned the Gin Kings in just three games in the best-of-five Final Four series.
NorthPort Batang Pier’s Arvin Tolentino is at third spot with 35.1 SPs, while TNT Tropang Giga’s Calvin Oftana (34.1) and Gin Kings’ Earl Scottie Thompson (31.0) remain fourth and fifth, respectively.
Boatwright, meanwhile, remained on top in the Best Import of the Conference award with his 60.3 SPs despite his diminished averages during the three-game semis against the Gin Kings.
Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters’ Johnathan Williams, meanwhile, is at second place with 50.7 SPs, while Hotshots’ Tyler Bey dropped to third spot with his 50.6 SPs after the semis.
Gin Kings’ reinforcement Tony Bishop, who served as a replacement to then suspended Justin Brownlee, is the last official nominee for Best Import race as he is fourth with 44.3 SPs.
Apart from the accumulated SPs by the players, the votes from the media and players could ultimately decide who wins the BPC and Best Import awards./PN
