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THE INAUGURAL BALLER AWARDS: THE BEST PBA POWER FORWARD OF 2013
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In lieu of a PBA year-ender, I felt it would be better to go position-by-position and look at the best PBAers of 2013. These are the guys who did really well in the pro circuit. Perhaps they led their teams to conference titles. Perhaps they led the league in a certain statistical category. Perhaps they were part of Gilas Pilipinas and helped the team make history. Perhaps they did all of those things.
In this post, we will award a Baller Award to the Best PBA Power Forward of 2013.
The Power Forward Nominees:
Jervy Cruz – Rain or Shine
Despite having a loaded frontline, Rain or Shine found a way to maximize the presence of former UST big man Cruz, who is one of the many undersized big men in the league. He normed career-highs in scoring, rebounding, and free throw shooting last season, helping the Elasto Painters enter the Finals of the 2013 Philippine Cup. Currently, he’s doing even better, scoring around 11 points per game, getting nearly 9 boards, and shooting better than 52% from the floor.
Ranidel De Ocampo – Talk N Text and Gilas Pilipinas
There are a lot of things going for RDO. First off, he led the Tropang Texters in their 2013 Philippine Cup conquest. Next, he was named Finals MVP of that championship-clinching series. Lastly, he played a vital role in the 2013 FIBA Asia campaign of Gilas Pilipinas, teaming up with the next guy on this list to hold the fort after Marcus Douthit permanently went down with an injury. All that in one year? Amazing.
Marc Pingris – San Mig Coffee and Gilas Pilipinas
Ping, in his ninth PBA season, continued to add to his legacy. He was the lynchpin of Gilas’s H U G E win over South Korea, filling in for Marcus Douthit against the giants of coach Yoo Jae-Hak. This guy had to go up against guys 6-9 or taller and STILL he managed to find a way to spank their behinds. Oh, and did I mention he was awesome in the Mixers’ 7-game win in the 2013 Govs’ Cup title series? So awesome, in fact, that he was named Finals MVP. Like RDO, Ping had an amazing 2013.
Arwind Santos – Petron Blaze
No way we can do this list without the PBA Season MVP, right? Yes, that’s even if I do not 100% agree with this particular choice (with all due respect, of course, Arwind). Many of Santos’s stats actually dipped last season, and his team didn’t win any title, BUT, relatively speaking, he was very consistent throughout the season. In the early part of the current season, however, the Spider-man has been making a statement in practically every encounter. His player efficiency rating (EFF) has shot through the roof. He is averaging about 17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 1 steal per game. Now THOSE are MVP-type numbers.
Jay Washington – GlobalPort
I’ve always wondered why J-Wash, especially given his size and skill-set, has never been part of the national team. At 6-7, he has enough size to be a prototypical SF or PF in the international game, and with his range, man, he can be a match-up nightmare in the mold of Jordan’s Zaid Abbas. That’s exactly what he does in the PBA, provided he’s motivated, of course. Last season, he wasn’t so motivated, though. He averaged single-digit scoring for the first time since his rookie year, and his EFF was at its lowest since, again, his rookie season. Currently, though, he’s experiencing a renaissance of sorts. He’s norming a 19-11 double-double with a 41.29 EFF rating. Talk about being motivated.
And the BALLER goes to…
RANIDEL DE OCAMPO
I wanted to give this to BOTH RDO and Ping, but I don’t want to cop out in the inaugural edition of these awards. I’m sticking to my guns and picking RaniDirk mainly because he won Finals MVP and led TNT to the title in the Philippine Cup, which, in my book at least, weighs a little more than the Commish Cup or Govs’ Cup. Maybe the toughest award to give, this one, but I had to choose, and I chose RDO.
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EDITORS' PICK
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