HOOPS

Converge trio threatens Bolick’s PBA BPC bid

Mark Escarlote · Oct 27, 2026, 1:35 AM

ROBERT Bolick’s bid to win the PBA BPC title is under threat from the Converge trio of Justin Arana, Justin Baltazar and rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño. — Photograph courtesy of PBA

NLEX star Robert Bolick boosts his bid for the coveted Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award but faces tough competition from three Converge standouts.

Bolick currently holds an average of 37.1 statistical points (sps) ahead of a tight pack, based on the latest league statistics released as the season-ending conference heads into the quarterfinals.

The 31-year-old Road Warriors scorer averaged 17.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 8.0 assists while towing his squad to clinching the top seed in Group A with a 9-3 record.

But the prolific shooting guard is flanked by the FiberXers’ trio of Justin Arana, Justin Baltazar, and rookie Juan Gomez de Liaño — all as equally deserving of the top individual honor as Bolick.

Arana is ranked No. 3 in the list with 34.7 sps, followed by Baltazar at fourth with 34.2 sps, and Gomez de Liaño with 33.8 sps in the fifth spot.

Maverick Ahanmisi actually is just behind Bolick at No. 2 with 35.7 sps, but Terrafirma’s early exit and failure to make the playoffs will definitely hurt his chances for the last BPC award of the season.

Ahanmisi averaged 16.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and a league-best 8.5 assists. He registered his first career triple-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 assists in the Dyip’s final game of the season, a 147-115 blowout of Titan Ultra.

The 6-foot-8 Arana leads Converge in scoring with a norm of 18.9 points, while adding 7.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. His frontcourt partner Baltazar averaged 15.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists as the duo took their acts together for Gilas Pilipinas for the first time in the last 20th Asian Games.

Meanwhile, Gomez-de Liaño, the leading candidate for the Rookie of the Year, is also making a case for the BPC plum behind solid numbers of 14.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game.

Thirteen-time BPC winner June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer is at the lower half of the race at sixth spot with 33.5 sps, spiked by his conference-best 10.7 rebounds, 12.0 points and 3.3 assists.

Rounding up the Top 10 players in contention are Schonny Winston of NLEX (32.6 sps) at No. 7 followed by Magnolia’s Zavier Lucero (32.4 sps), Rain or Shine’s Adrian Nocum (32.3 sps) and CJ Perez of San Miguel (30.3 sps).