The 2022-23 PBA season has kicked off with some exciting matches, including San Miguel's victory in the Philippine Cup and TNT ending their championship drought in the Governors' Cup. The Barangay Ginebra Kings also had a thrilling seven-game win over the Bay Area Dragons.
With the season in full swing, it's time to look at the individual awards, including the MVP award.
In this blog, we rank the top 10 players of the season!
10 | ROBERT BOLICK
TEAM | NORTHPORT BATANG PIER
STATS | 20.5PPG, 5.0RPG, 6.1APG, 0.7SPG, 29 GAMES
ADVANTAGE | ALL-STAR
Throughout the years, there have been instances where an underperforming team managed to secure a spot in the Mythical First Team. Arwind Santos during his Air21 stint, Asi Taulava for most of his non-TNT seasons, any Terrence Romeo and Stanley Pringle Mythical Team selection prior to joining the SMC teams, and CJ Perez before joining San Miguel are just a few examples. Robert Bolick currently plays for Northport, a team that had a good PBL and ABL showing, but for some reason, seems to care little about their PBA record. Over the years, the Batang Pier have let go of their star players through subpar trades, which is why they have failed to make a Finals appearance in over a decade of PBA existence. Although this is not Bolick's fault, if he wants to have a better career, he needs to request more support from the team's owners.
9 | CALVIN ABUEVA
TEAM | MAGNOLIA HOTSHOTS
STATS | 12.5PPG, 7.6RPG, 2.8APG, 1.1SPG, 0.8BPG, 47 GAMES
ADVANTAGE | ALL-STAR
Calvin Abueva's statistics may not be dazzling, but I believe that as long as he stays out of trouble, he can still perform at his best. His game, stripped of the negative intentions and offensive antics, is impressive. Although he is a likely candidate for the Mythical Second Team, players such as Chris Newsome and Calvin Oftana could potentially replace him. Nonetheless, his performance is difficult to disregard, despite being ranked this low on this list.
8 | RR POGOY
TEAM | TNT TROPANG GIGA
STATS | 18.3PPG, 4.0RPG, 2.0APG, 1.4SPG, 55 GAMES
ADVANTAGE | GOVERNORS’ CUP CHAMPION, PHILIPPINE CUP RUNNER-UP, ALL-STAR
RR Pogoy, one of two players from the 2016 PBA Draft class in this list, remained a top scorer for TNT this season. Although he was unable to contribute to TNT's victory in the Governors' Cup Finals, he did participate in 55 games, four games more than Williams and two games more than Jayson Castro. It's challenging to predict the Mythical Team's guard positions currently, but Pogoy's numbers are impressive enough to compete against his rivals.
7 | JIO JALALON
TEAM | MAGNOLIA HOTSHOTS
STATS | 11.1PPG, 5.3RPG, 5.8APG, 2.1SPG, 49 GAMES
ADVANTAGE | ALL-STAR
Undoubtedly, this season has been Jio Jalalon's best in the PBA, with a career-best 11-point average, 5.8 assists, and two steals per game. Regrettably, Magnolia's season was marred by injuries, resulting in the Hotshots failing to reach the finals in all three conferences. Additionally, it appears that Jalalon is still ranked third among the team's combo guards, with Mark Barroca and Paul Lee ahead of him. While I hope he secures a spot on the Mythical Second Team, he faces tough competition from players such as Mikey Williams, RR Pogoy, Chris Newsome, Aaron Black, and Robert Bolick.
6 | MIKEY WILLIAMS
TEAM | TNT TROPANG GIGA
STATS | 18.4PPG, 3.9RPG, 4.1APG, 0.7SPG, 51 GAMES
ADVANTAGE | GOVERNORS’ CUP FINALS MVP, GOVERNORS’ CUP CHAMPION, PHILIPPINE CUP RUNNER-UP, ALL-STAR
At the beginning of the season, the second-year player encountered a setback due to contract negotiations. However, upon signing the contract, Williams quickly regained his usual, formidable form. He played a crucial role in TNT's runner-up finish in the Philippine Cup, and his spectacular 38-point performance compensated for the absence of RR Pogoy and sealed the defeat of Barangay Ginebra in the season-ending Governors' Cup. While it may be challenging for Williams to win the MVP award, he has the potential to convince the voters to grant him a spot on the Mythical First Team.
5 | JAMIE MALONZO
TEAM | NORTHPORT/GINEBRA
STATS | 15.1PPG, 7.5RPG, 2.4APG, 1.4SPG, 1.0BPG, 56 GAMES
ADVANTAGE | COMMISSIONER’S CUP CHAMPION, GOVERNORS’ CUP RUNNER-UP, ALL-STAR
When Jamie Malonzo first entered the scene, I believed he had the potential to be the next Arwind Santos, given his impressive numbers. Despite concerns that his transfer to Ginebra would have a detrimental effect on his statistics, his stock actually increased, particularly during his impressive performance in the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals against the Bay Area Dragons. Malonzo is likely to secure a place in the Mythical lineup, but it ultimately depends on which team he joins. As Japeth Aguilar nears his 36th birthday, Malonzo could take over a significant portion of his playing time, becoming a key player in Ginebra's future.
4 | CJ PEREZ
TEAM | SAN MIGUEL BEERMEN
STATS | 18.8PPG, 6.1RPG, 4.2APG, 1.9SPG, 59 GAMES
ADVANTAGE | PHILIPPINE CUP CHAMPION, ALL-STAR
My personal view is that CJ Perez did not do enough to merit the MVP award, despite his remarkable stats, given his position as the second-best player on the San Miguel Beermen team during the first two conferences, and the team's unfortunate season-ending run in the Governors' Cup after June Mar's injury. Nonetheless, I think Perez is a viable contender for the Mythical First Team, and I hope he gets selected to join the 2023 FIBA World Cup because of his fearlessness and talent for making clutch shots.
3 | CHRISTIAN STANDHARDINGER
TEAM | BARANGAY GINEBRA KINGS
STATS | 15.3PPG, 8.7RPG, 4.0APG, 0.7SPG, 57 GAMES
ADVANTAGE | GOVERNORS’ CUP BPC, COMMISSIONER’S CUP FINALS MVP, COMMISSIONER’S CUP CHAMPION, GOVERNORS’ CUP RUNNER-UP, ALL-STAR
Christian Standhardinger faces tough competition from June Mar Fajardo and Scottie Thompson in the race for MVP, making it difficult for him to win the award. There's also a possibility that he might fall to the Mythical Second Team due to playing the same position as The Kraken. However, things have changed since the early stages of the season, and C-Stan has been performing exceptionally well. He is the only player this season to finish with a BPC award, a Finals MVP award, a championship, two finals appearances, and an all-star selection. Although June Mar and Scottie may be the popular choices for the award, it wouldn't be surprising if Standhardinger defies the odds and wins his first MVP title.
2 | SCOTTIE THOMPSON
TEAM | BARANGAY GINEBRA KINGS
STATS | 13.9PPG, 7.7RPG, 6.0APG, 1.6SPG, 60 GAMES
ADVANTAGE | COMMISSIONER’S CUP BPC, COMMISSIONER’S CUP CHAMPION, GOVERNORS’ CUP RUNNER-UP, ALL-STAR
Scottie Thompson, the reigning MVP, has the highest chance of winning again from all the names on this list. Along with two Finals appearances, he also won the Commissioner's Cup Best Player award. It's worth noting that he is expected to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and could take on the plays formerly entrusted to Jayson Castro. This could be a reason why Thompson is more likely to win the MVP award over his Ginebra teammate, Christian Standhardinger. In the event that Fajardo fails to return to form by the time of the World Cup, Gilas Pilipinas will need its MVP to be in top condition. If the voters choose a player other than Fajardo, then Thompson is the most likely choice.
1 | JUNE MAR FAJARDO
TEAM | SAN MIGUEL BEERMEN
STATS | 17.7PPG, 13.5RPG, 2.9APG, 0.7SPG, 1.3BPG, 46 GAMES
ADVANTAGE | PHILIPPINE CUP BPC, PHILIPPINE CUP FINALS MVP, PHILIPPINE CUP CHAMPION, ALL-STAR
June Mar Fajardo's campaign for a seventh MVP win has several red flags to consider, including voter fatigue, winning many accolades early in the season, and a weak finish due to injuries. Although he is the only player in the season to average a double-double and has previously won MVP trophies with similar season numbers, it may be challenging to convince voters to award him another MVP with Ginebra and TNT having two PBA Finals appearances. While Fajardo's averages could make him a strong contender for MVP, he faces tough competition from players like Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez, and Christian Standhardinger.