2018 MVP Race 2.0: The Domination of the SMC Players

We are down to four teams that are competing for the championships. And of course, Most Valuable Players should show the capability of at least pushing his team to the playoffs.

So, who are the top five candidates for the MVP, so far?

Let us see.

#5 Arwind Santos

Maybe, the drafting of Christian Standhardinger pinch something inside the Spiderman. He is stuffing the stat sheets with his 16.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 2.2 blocks. The combination of his defensive acumen and offensive explosion this season, made him one of the top MVP candidate.

#4 Paul Lee

The Leethal Weapon has solidified himself as the ace player of the Hotshots. Although, injury was still an issue, his play on the court is legit. He is producing 17.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 44.8% FG and 39.7% 3FG.

Paul Lee is #10, in terms of 3FG%, and with the way the game is played today, that is a vital weapon for the Hotshots.

#3 Earl Scottie Thompson

Why do Ginebra even need two giants, if Thompson is already capable of accomplishing one the giant's job? I am talking about rebounding the ball. Scottie is the 3rd best in the league, only behind JP Erram and June Mar Fajardo. Of course, below him are the likes of Calvin Abueva, Greg Slaughter and Arwind Santos.

Other than his rebounding, he is also making 5.9 assists per game and 1.2 steals. Add the fact that his three-point shooting is on its way up, 40.6%, and Ginebra may have one of the most unique, two-way weapon.

#2 Japeth Aguilar

The King Eagle is having one of the quietest MVP campaign in the league. Japeth is the 3rd best scorer in the league, with his 19.5 points per game, 11th best rebounder, with his 8.5 rebounds per game, 1.7 blocks, 5th best and the 9th most efficient player in the league.

Just to emphasize his transformation, he has been the top scorer for Ginebra in their three semifinals games. In total, he is averaging 23.3 points in the semis, with 3.0 assists per game.

#1 June Mar Fajardo

The Kraken will try to make history this season. And he knows that. His statline of 23.9 points, 13.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.1 blocks and 65.8% FG is incomparable to any other statline. Just the god-like combination of effectiveness and efficiency in his scoring, makes him a must have for any team.

Just to show the difference, he is the #1 scorer in the game, and he has 2.8 points lead over the 2nd best. And in rebounding, he is the 2nd best, with 1.7 rebounds advantage of the 3rd. In short, he is still the player that is synonymous to the word, valuable.