MANILA – The fight for the Best Player of the Conference trophy in the 2019 PBA Governors’ Cup is a tight one with not a single player from finalists Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings and Meralco Bolts making the Top Five in the stats race.
June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beermen, rookie Jaymar Perez of Columbian Dyip, Christian Standhardinger of NorthPort Batang Pier, Ilonggo Kiefer Ravena of NLEX Road Warriors, and TNT KaTropa’s Jayson Castro had strong cases to win the award.
Fajardo (with an average of 38.8 statistical points) narrowly leads the stats race over Perez (37.2), the season’s top draft selection who made good impression all season long.
Standhardinger (35.1 SPs) and Castro (31.6 SPs) were two candidates able to carry their teams to the semis while Ravena (34.5 SP) earned taps on the back with his fine showing coming from his long FIBA suspension.
Fajardo collected averages of 19.3 points, 14.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 blocks to contend for a second BPC award in the season following his BPC coronation in the Philippine Cup moving him closer to sixth consecutive season MVP trophy.
Castro, the Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference winner, normed 14.9 markers, 5.9 dish-offs, 4.4 boards and 1.7 steals.
Three Kings players in Stanley Pringle (30.8), Japeth Aguilar (29.9) and LA Tenorio (28.0) narrowly missed the Magic Five together with KaTropa’s Roger Pogoy (30.4) and Bolts’ Chris Newsome (29.8).
Tied with Tenorio at 10th spot was Magnolia Hotshots’ Ian Sangalang (28.0) followed by KaTropa’s Bobby Ray Parks (27.5), Bolts’ Raymond Almazan (27.4), KaTropa’s Jeth Troy Rosario (27.0) and Phoenix Pulse Fuel Masters’ Matthew Wright (26.8)./PN
