As the Commissioner's Cup nears its conclusion, the league is set to name its top local player and most dominant import during Friday's Game 4 of the finals.
The race for both awards has been narrowed, with the top five locals in terms of statistical points qualifying for the Best Player of the Conference plum and the four reinforcements that made the semifinals comprise the candidates for the Best Import award.
There's still a chance for the players in the finals to better their numbers and receive the hardware. With the finals battle of Ginebra and TNT intensifying, let's take a look at another race for the two awards and predict who ultimately gets it.
Best Player of the Conference race
Who we thinks win: Calvin Oftana (TNT Tropang Giga)
After the semifinals, San Miguel's June Mar Fajardo (42.0 SP) continued to lead the statistical points ranking even though the Beermen did not make the playoffs. Fajardo's averages of 20.1 points, 16.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 50% field goal shooting speaks for itself. But the chances of him winning another BPC -- and that of second placed Robert Bolick (37.1 SP) of NLEX -- is low because neither player's team made the postseason.
The field further narrowed after Jordan Heading (32.6 SP, ranked fourth) and Converge were eliminated in the quarterfinals. It has become a race between the marquee players who led their respective squads to the semifinals in NorthPort's Arvin Tolentino and TNT's Calvin Oftana.
Arguably the most potent scorer in the eliminations, Tolentino led NorthPort to the best offense in the league. Unfortunately, there was a dip in his performance during the semifinals against Ginebra that lowered down his averages by a bit, but still was impressive. He averaged 20.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists on 50 TS% in 18 games. This resulted in Tolentino having the third highest statistical points among locals for the conference.
Oftana's argument to get the BPC award is about his efficiency. It also felt like the first conference where he's put up 17 points, six rebounds, and 2.1 assists on 57.6 TS%. He's also the league leader in this conference in terms of triples made per game at 3.1 while shooting an excellent 43.3% from beyond the arc. Just like Tolentino, the development of Oftana as an elite three-level scorer has made him a fixture with Gilas Pilipinas and considerably one of the most versatile wings the PBA can offer.
Although Oftana is the lowest in the statistical points category, no one on the list can say that they are a few wins away from yet another championship other than Oftana. It makes a good argument that his numbers translate to winning, which proves his value as one the best players in the league.
Best Import of the Conference race
Who we think wins: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (TNT Tropang Giga)
TNT's Rondae Hollis-Jefferson surged to the top of the Best Import race after the semifinals, moving from seventh after the eliminations to first place with 52.7 SP. He averaged 28.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game while also leading all imports in blocks with 1.8 per contest. His two-way dominance and ability to take over games in crunch time make him the heavy favorite for the award.
NorthPort's Kadeem Jack (49.8 SP) sits in second place among the four imports, averaging an explosive 31.8 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. Jack's offensive brilliance was one of the highlights of the conference, but NorthPort's early exit in the semifinals may hinder his chances of winning the award.
Rain or Shine's Deon Thompson followed at third place, putting up 19.8 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. While his consistency was crucial for his team, he lacked the dominant impact of the frontrunners. Meanwhile, Ginebra's Justin Brownlee finished fourth with 23.3 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. Brownlee's legacy in the league is unquestioned, but this conference's numbers were slightly overshadowed by the other contenders.
Hollis-Jefferson's case is the strongest, as he is not only the statistical leader among imports but also the most impactful in a winning environment. His scoring, rebounding, and defensive versatility have powered TNT into the finals, proving that he is the most deserving candidate for the Best Import award.