June Mar Fajardo (left photo) and Scottie Thompson know
what it takes to win theMVP trophy. —PBA IMAGES
The four candidates for the PBA’s Season 47 Most Valuable Player award all downplayed their chances of winning the coveted individual trophy that will be handed out during the new season’s opening on Sunday, as two of them are looking to win for the first time, one going back-to-back and the other to extend his record to seven.
San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo is looking to add to the six he won consecutively from 2015, while Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson eyes a repeat in the Leo Awards that will be held before the 48th season opener on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Ginebra’s Christian Standhardinger and San Miguel’s CJ Perez are also in the race, the candidates determined through statistics and the winner from votes from media members covering the beat and the players—teammates and opponents alike.
“It would be a good feeling to win it again,” Thompson said in Filipino. “But as I’ve said before, I won the MVP before because June Mar wasn’t healthy. When he’s healthy, it’s hard to catch up in the MVP race because we all know how consistent he is.”
Fajardo topped the Statistical Points race with an average of 40.2 points after turning in 17.7 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.3 blocks. He won Best Player of the Conference and Finals Most Valuable Player honors when San Miguel won its first Philippine Cup title in three years in September 2022.
But Fajardo missed 13 of 59 games in the 2022-23 campaign after injuries sidelined the 6-foot-10 gentle giant in the Commissioner’s Cup and Governors’ Cup.
“I didn’t expect to be among the candidates, especially after coming off an injury,” Fajardo said, also referring to an injury that sidelined him in 2020.
Mythical Team inclusions
Thompson was the Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference and helped Ginebra defeat guest team Bay Area in a seesaw best-of-seven series. That title showdown also saw Standhardinger emerge as a surprise Finals MVP, primarily for his work on the defensive end.
Standhardinger did win the BPC of the Governors’ Cup after Japeth Aguilar’s injury necessitated an increase in his role, particularly on the offensive end.
“That’s something you don’t want to think about as a player,” Standhardinger said of winning MVP. “You want to think about how we can get ready for the next conference and how we can win more championships; that’s basically the goal of us.”
Thompson and Standhardinger, however, are third and fourth in Statistical Points with 35.5 and 33.6, trailing Perez, who didn’t win any individual award but was always in the running for the BPC of the three conferences due to his consistent play.
All four should be contenders to make the first or second Mythical Teams during the awarding rites that will serve as transition from the previous season to the big league’s latest chapter.
Also to be handed out are the Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, All-Defensive Team and Sportsmanship awards.
Forty-five percent of the statistics are going to be used as criteria, while the rest will come from the media (30%) and players’ (25%) votes. INQ