Some fans want a rule change, and they might have a point.
Barangay Ginebra import Justin Brownlee turned in another spectacular finals campaign in the recently concluded Commissioner’s Cup. He was so good that we just had to ask: Should the PBA finally start allowing imports to be named Finals MVP?
Well, our newest kababayan was superb the entire series. Both the eye test and the stats will certify that claim. Check out Justin Noypi’s numbers from Games 1 to 7.
Game 1: 28 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, W
Game 2: 32 points, 11 rebounds, L
Game 3: 34 points, 17 rebounds, 3 steals, W
Game 4: 23 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals, L
Game 5: 37 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 4 blocks, W
Game 6: 37 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals, 4 blocks, L
Game 7: 34 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists, 3 blocks, W
Those are MVP-type numbers if we ever saw one. Nonetheless, the rules say that the Finals MVP trophy can only be awarded to a local, and it was Ginebra big man Christian Standhardinger who received the honor. For his part, C-Stan did a terrific job guarding Bay Area Dragons import Andrew Nicholson before the latter got injured. He was also the most consistent among local players averaging 10.7 points, 7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals in seven games.
That being said, Standhardinger’s good performance doesn’t come close to Brownlee’s overall brilliance. At this day and age, not handing out the Finals MVP award to the guy who obviously carried his team to the championship — just to adhere to an old rule — feels strange, according to these fans on Twitter.
@NiniMe19 practically said that Justin Brownlee is an exception to the rule because the three-time PBA Best Import is already a legit Filipino.
Paul Kennedy Lintag called it four days before Ginebra clinched the crown.
Despite knowing about the rule, @PBAinsider still felt a little chippy, seeing Brownlee didn’t get the award.
Weirded out, Ryan is another guy who got a little aggressive with his tweet.
Breaking tradition is always tough. But the PBA bravely did it when they invited the Bay Area Dragons. Maybe, changing things up some more will once again translate into positive results.