Ross wins Best Player award; Rhodes top import
Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
In probably one of the tightest races in the 42-year history of the PBA, defense won it in the end.
Chris Ross emerged as the Best Player of the Conference for the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup as he edged San Miguel teammate Alex Cabagnot for the highest individual plum of the conference on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The reigning Defensive Player of the Year claimed the hardware after bagging 1,038 points, powered by 410 statistical points (SPs), 426 media votes, 52 player votes, and 150 votes from the PBA Commissioner’s Office.
Cabagnot, the league’s pacesetter for the whole conference, was at second as he gathered 746 points, after nabbing 410 SPs, 235 media votes, 26 player votes, and 75 votes from the PBA.
It was a close contest up until the end, with Ross and Cabagnot finding themselves statistically tied at the end of the semifinals.
Ross averaged 13.19 points, 5.19 rebounds, and a league-best 8.06 assists, to go with 2.94 steals, while Cabagnot tallied 5.13 markers, 6.56 boards, 5.06 dimes, and 1.19 steals for the conference.
Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
The Beermen backcourt partners even vouched for each other.
“His numbers speak for itself,” said Ross of Cabagnot. “What he’s done for our team, the clutch moments he’s had for us, it sums it up. He’s so crucial for our team with the sacrifices he’s made and he’s been there at the top for the whole conference.”
Cabagnot said the same of Ross, saying, “He’s been playing excellent for us, not just for this conference but also for the whole year.”
TNT skipper Jayson Castro was at third with 630 points, followed by three-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel (530 points), and GlobalPort slasher Stanley Pringle (415 points).
Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
San Miguel dominated the night with reinforcement Charles Rhodes emerging as the winner of this conference’s Bobby Parks Best Import award.
The mercurial import netted 1,174 points built on 451 SPs, 517 media votes, 56 player votes, and 150 votes from the PBA.
Rhodes averaged 27.38 points, 10.19 rebounds. 1.81 assists, 1.75 blocks, and 1.25 assists, while helping the Beermen advance to the championship duel.
He was the first import from San Miguel to win the honor since Gabe Freeman bagged the Best Import award for the second time in the 2010 Fiesta Conference.
Star’s Ricardo Ratliffe finished second with 943 points, followed by Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee (706 points), and TNT’s Joshua Smith (536 points).
