The PBA Philippine Cup best-of-seven championship series between San Miguel Beer and Magnolia Chicken, the new brand being carried by the old Purefoods franchise, has just started and it seems basketball purists had already seen what’s written on the wall.
Barring injuries and early elimination of San Miguel in the next two conferences (which is unlikely to happen), the 6-foot-10 dominant force is on his way to win his fifth straight Most Valuable Player award.
Although the Beermen squandered a 20-point lead and lost eventually to the Hotshots, there’s no denying Junemar Fajardo is still the steadiest player in the league.
Prior to the championship series, Fajardo continued to lead in points, rebounds and two-point field goal percentage. In 16 games, the pride of Cebu averaged 22.94 points and 65.4% from the two-point range. In the playoffs, he averaged 12.4 rebounds per game before the finals started.
The Philippine Cup has the highest percentage when it comes to tallying individual awards and Fajardo is still the runaway winner. Had the PBA still imposing the tradition of handing out the MVP right after the All-Filipino, it would be an easy five in a row for the Kraken.
There were so many bidders for the MVP plum over the past four seasons — Jayson Castro, multiple-time scoring champion Terrence Romeo and even Calvin Abueva, but none of them came close to Fajardo, who seems to be getting better and better.
Everybody loves to see a big guy who possesses variety of moves. Inside and outside the court, he’s a likeable person. Playing Fajardo is like playing a grown up kid who’s just enjoying playing a pick up game and when the stakes get higher, you can expect him to be at his best.
Mon Fernandez, a fellow four-time MVP winner like Fajardo, believes that only injury could stop him form becoming the best player in the PBA. Another four-time MVP winner, Alvin Patrimonio had not seen a big man like Fajardo who can shoot, pass and power is way to the basket.
The sky is the limit for Fajardo.
He had already achieved history. So as his team. The Game 1 loss to Magnolia could serve as a motivating drive for Fajardo and the Beermen to come out better.
By Game 4 of the Philippine Cup series, Fajardo is expected to be named the Best Player of the Conference, the sixth time he will be named as the finest player in a tournament.
So who’s gonna stop Fajardo? Anyone?
Rey Joble has been covering the PBA games for more than a decade. He is a member of the PBA Press Corps and Philippine Sportswriters Association.
