SEASON’S TOP PLAYERS TAKE CENTERSTAGE IN LEO AWARDS
In pocketing the PBA Governors’ Cup Best Player of the Conference plum, Talk n Text ace frontcourt player Ranidel de Ocampo – at the buzzer – broke into the list of official candidates for the season’s Most Valuable Player award.
De Ocampo, the fourth pick in the 2004 Rookie Draft who has blossomed to be among the league’s premier big men, slugs it out with San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo, Air21’s Asi Taulava and teammate Jayson Castro for the most coveted trophy in the 2014 Leo Awards set at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Big Dome.
San Miguel struggled all season long but Beermen Fajardo and Santos could be the toasts of this much awaited year-end awards.
For Fajardo is nominated for no less than five major awards while Santos is in contention for two historic achievements.
The San Miguel behemoth is the top choice for the MVP award, being the stats race runaway winner and also the winner of the Commissioner’s Cup BPC honors. The Beermen’s prized Cebuano sophomore center averaged 37.2 statistical points (SPs) for the season with his 16.8 points, a league-high 14.2 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.4 assists, and shot 55 percent from the field.
He’s also in the running for the Mythical Selection, the Most Improved Player award, the Sportsmanship honors and the All-Defensive Team.
Fajardo, Taulava, Castro and de Ocampo, as MVP candidates, are likely to land spots in the Mythical Selection.
The 41-year-old Taulava normed 14.8 points, 12.4 rebounds, alongside two assists to end the year second to Fajardo in statistical points with 31.6 an outing.
Castro tallied 31.2 SPs with his 16.8 points, four rebounds, 4.2 assists, and his 37 percent shooting from three-point region.
For his part, de Ocampo submitted norms of 15.2 points shooting 41 percent from 3-pt. range and 82 percent from the stripe, 6.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists en route to his 29.9 SPs at the end of the season.
Others vying for membership in the Mythical First Five and Mythical Second Team are Santos, San Mig Super Coffee’s Mark Barroca, PJ Simon, James Yap, Marc Pingris and Joe Devance, Alaska’s Jvee Casio and Sonny Thoss, GlobalPort’s Alex Cabagnot and Jay Washington, Meralco’s Gary David, Rain or Shine’s Paul Lee, Ginebra’s LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar and Greg Slaughter, and Air21’s Joseph Yeo.
Santos, No. 3 in the stats race, is in the running for a sixth straight membership in the Mythical First Five – the longest streak by any PBA player since Johnny Abarrientos made the elite roster also for six consecutive seasons from 1994 to 1999.
The all-time longest record of seven straight seasons belongs to Ramon Fernandez from 1976-1982. Alvin Patrimonio also had six straight from 1989 to 1994.
Yap, Taulava and Washington are all vying for a fourth Mythical Five honors while Thoss, David and Tenorio their third.
Fajardo has Meralco’s Cliff Hodge and Yeo as rivals for the MIP, and Casio, Thoss, Dondon Hontiveros and Willie Miller as friendly foes for the Sportsmanship trophy.
Contenders for the frontline spots in the All-Defensive Team are Fajardo, Santos, Taulava, Hodge, Pingris, Thoss, Calvin Abueva, Noy Baclao and Gabe Norwood. For the backcourt spots, the candidates are Barroca, Casio, Castro, Chris Ellis, Jireh Ibañes, Ryan Reyes and Chris Ross.
Santos also has a chance to tie Glenn Capacio at No. 2 in the all-time ladder with eight overall Best Defensive honors, one behind the all-time best record of Jerry Codiñera (nine).
Pingris is currently right behind Santos with six defensive citations.
Slaughter also looks to be a sure winner in the Rookie of the Year race as he’s the breakaway leader in the stats race. His closest pursuers are Ian Sangalang, Raymond Almazan, Terrence Romeo and Ross. (SB/RL)
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