Phoenix forward Jason Perkins is the presumptive top rookie of Season 43 of the Philippine Basketball Association. But he prefers not to harp about it.
“I don’t really have too many feelings about it right now,” Perkins told the Inquirer. “I just want to get back to practice with these guys.”
“A spade’s a spade, I guess,” he added. “I just don’t have that much feeling about it now since I’m focusing on the next season already.”
If the numbers are any indication, Perkins is a lock to win the Rookie of the Year (ROY) plum.
He currently leads the crop with an average of 23.2 statistical points (SP). Perkins’ closest pursuer and La Salle teammate, Jeron Teng of Alaska, a teammate in college, normed 18.7 SPs in 45 games—nine more than the Filipino-American’s total outings.
“That’s of the last season. Rookie of the Year is already in the past. I’m looking forward now,” Perkins said.
But don’t get the Fuelmaster workhorse wrong. Perkins would want to take home the award when the Leo Awards gets going during the league’s 44th season opening on Jan. 13.
“I have like a notebook where I write things that I want to attract,” he said. “That was in there—being Rookie of the Year.”
“But then again, there are a series of events that happened that brought this [circumstance]—like Christian [Standhardinger coming in late], Kiefer [Ravena getting suspended halfway through the season], and even Jeron [getting] stabbed.”
Ravena, the second overall pick, was an overwhelming favorite to win the award.
Perkins, though, explained that his perspective is from being written off.
“Even before, people wouldn’t believe in me too much. But I believe in myself and the people I’m surrounded [with],” he said.