The ‘Kraken’ is on track for a record-extending 8th PBA MVP award.
Seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo emerged as the early frontrunner for the PBA Season 48 Most Valuable Player (MVP) race after yet another dominant outing in the Beermen’s season-opening Commissioner’s Cup title conquest.
Despite missing some games in eliminations due to a broken left hand injury, the Beermen’s gentle giant powered through in the postseason, helping San Miguel clinched their 29th PBA crown over Magnolia in a six-game Finals series.
Fajardo averaged 16.2 points, a league-leading 12 rebounds and season-high 2.3 blocks per game, on top 2.5 assist and 1.1 steals for a 40.9 statistical point average (SPs).
Two familiar faces in Barangay Ginebra's Christian Standhardinger and his SMB teammate, newly crowned Best Player of the Conference and Finals MVP CJ Perez, are closing in behind June Mar for the top PBA individual award.
Standhardinger collected 35.7 SPs after norming 16.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while Perez is right behind in the third spot with 35.4 SPs following a strong 16-point, 6-rebound, 4-assist averages in his best conference as a Beermen yet.
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Arvin Tolentino of NorthPort Batang Pier took the number 4 spot after with 35.1 SPs as Calvin Oftana of the TNT Tropang Giga rounded up the top five with 34.1.
Meanwhile, Terrafirma Dyip’s top pick Stephen Holt leads the Rookie of the Year race after posting 24 SPs as the Batang Pier’s Cade Flores (22.4 SPs), Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters Ken Tuffin (20.1), teammate Dyip Kemark Carino (16.1), NorthPort's Fran Yu (15.8) and Blackwater's Christian David (14.3) completing the top 5.
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