Fajardo widens BPC race lead

Decorated San Miguel Beer center June Mar Fajardo appears on track to win another Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award.

Fajardo’s stellar performance in the season-opening Governors’ Cup elimination round puts him ahead of the competition for a possible 11th BPC recognition.

The 6-foot-10 big man collected a total of 43.9 statistical points (sps) in an impressive showing in the elims where he carried the Beermen into the playoffs.

Fajardo, who won the same honor in the Philippine Cup months back, is currently on top of the rebounding department with an average of 15.0 boards per game.

He is also averaging 21.3 points, 2.8 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks per game.

But the eight-time Most Valuable Player is facing a tough challenge from NLEX’s Robert Bolick, NorthPort’s Arvin Tolentino, San Miguel teammate CJ Perez and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Japeth Aguilar.

Bolick is running second in the race with 38.7 sps, topping the assists department with 8.6 dishes per game. He is averaging 20.4 points and 6.9 boards per outing.

Tolentino, who leads the locals in scoring with 23.7 points per start, is at third with 37.5 sps.

Although Tolentino failed to help the Batang Pier advance into the playoffs, he still normed with 8.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

Perez, last season’s Commissioner’s Cup BPC winner, occupies the fourth spot with 37.0 sps, averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals.

Aguilar wraps the Top 5 after accumulating 33.4sps from averages of 19.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists.

At No. 6 is Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson (30.3 sps) followed by Blackwater rookie Sedrick Barefield (29.5sps), Converge’s Alec Stockton (29.1 sps), Ginebra’s Stephen Holt (28.4 sps), and Meralco’s Chris Newsome (28.1 sps).

George King, on the other hand, leads the way in the Best Import award ahead of other established reinforcements.

The Blackwater import has 61.7sps as he lords the league’s scoring with 40.3 points and 13.1 rebounds per game despite the Bossing’s early exit.

Reigning Best Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of TNT is behind King with 57.6 sps.

He leads the league in assists (6.2), steals (2.7) and blocks (2.1) block shots.

At third is Dequan Jones of NLEX (55.3sps), Jordan Adams of San Miguel (50.1sps), and Jalen Jones of Converge (47.5sps).

Three-time Best Import winner Justine Brownlee of Ginebra is running sixth with 47.4 sps, followed by Aaron Fuller of Rain or Shine (46.8 sps) and three-time Allen Durham of Meralco (46.8sps).