Fajardo leads BPC derby

San Miguel Beer star June Mar Fajardo is on the right track to hike his Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Best Player of the Conference (BPC) collection to a dozen.

Already holding the record for the most BPC awards, the Beermen behemoth is well on his way to bagging another one after taking the lead in the statistical race halfway through the elimination round of the 49th PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Although flanked by top contenders led by NorthPort’s Arvin Tolentino, NLEX’s Robert Bolick, TNT Tropang Giga’s Calvin Oftana and Converge rookie Jordan Heading, the 6-foot-10 big man steered clear of his closest rivals after collecting 44.8 statistical points (SPs).

The eight-time Most Valuable Player and winner of the season-opening Governors’ Cup BPC is averaging 19.8 points, a league-best 17.3 rebounds, and 4.5 assists for the repeat-seeking San Miguel.

Just within striking distance is Tolentino at no. 2 with 40.8sps. He leads the conference in scoring with a 24.7-point per game average and norms of 8.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.1 block shots for the league-leading Batang Pier.

At No. 3 is Bolick with 37.6 SPs, leading the league in assists with a 7.9 average. The perennial contender is also averaging 24.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals.

Oftana is at fourth spot with 34.3 SPs behind averages of 21.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while Heading has 33.1 SPs to land at No. 5 with norms of 17.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists.

Rounding up the top 10 in the BPC list are Northport’s Joshua Munzon (32.9 SPs) at No. 6 while leading the conference in steals with 2.4, followed by Chris Newsome of Meralco (32.6 SPs), Converge’s Alec Stockton (31.4 SPs), Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson (29.5 SPs) and Rain or Shine’s Leonard Santillan (27.8 SPs).

Meanwhile, do-it-all reinforcement Mike Watkins of NLEX leads the Best Import race ahead of previous winners Justine Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of TNT.

Watkins earned 54.9 SPs while leading the tournament in rebounding (24.1) and block shots (3.0) among imports. He averages 25.4 points and 1.9 assists per game. M. ESCARLOTE

Northport’s Kadeem Jack is second with 50.7 SPs f rom averages of 30.3 points, 11.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game, while three-time winner Brownlee is a close third with 50.2 SPs (28.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks).

Donovan Smith of Phoenix and Rain or Shine’s Dean Thompson round up the top 5. Smith (30.8 points, 13.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.7 blocks) occupies the fourth spot with 49.5 SPs, while Thompson (20.0 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, a league-best 2.5 steals, and 2.3 blocks) is at No. 5 with 48.3 SPs.

George King, who leads all imports in scoring with 37.2 points is at No. 6 (47.8 SPs), two notches above two-time winner Hollis-Jefferson (28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks), who logged 47.3 SPs.