Abueva on track to becoming 2nd ROY-MVP in PBA history

MANILA, Philippines – Calvin Abueva might have a shot at becoming only the second player in PBA history to win MVP honors in his rookie year should he sustain his searing pace in the season-ending Governors Cup slated to start Aug. 14.

Abueva, the season’s second draft pick behind Petron Blaze’s Junmar Fajardo, is on track to making the official candidates list, being a strong runner-up in the Best Player of the Conference derbies in the Philippine Cup and in the Commissioner’s Cup.

Talk n Text’s Jayson Castro and Ginebra’s LA Tenorio are already official MVP candidates for winning the BPC plums in the all-Filipino tourney and mid-season confab, respectively.

Abueva and Petron’s do-it-all star Arwind Santos are both in contention on the strength of their huge numbers in the stats derby.

In the unofficial tally through the semifinals of the first two conferences, Abueva and Santos were running first and second with averages of 29.716 and 28.95 statistical points, respectively.

As of posting time, the PBA has yet to release the official stats.

 But combining the numbers released by the league through the semis of the Philippine Cup and the Commissioner’s Cup, Abueva has got past Santos, the first conference stats champ.

The Alaska super rookie was runner-up to Santos in the stats race in the first conference and beat all comers in the second conference.

“I’m excited of Calvin having a chance to be a rookie MVP,” said Alaska top official Joaqui Trillo of the prospect of Abueva matching the record feat of Benjie Paras in 1989.

The energetic forward out of San Sebastian, however, must finish ahead of Castro and Tenorio in the stats race in the end for him to be an official MVP contender.

The same goes to Santos, a perennial BPC and MVP contenders in the last few years.

Right behind Abueva and Santos in the unofficial stats tally are Sol Mercado (27.81), Castro (27.346), Tenorio (26.796), Jayvee Casio (25.816), Ranidel de Ocampo (25.65), Cyrus Baguio (25.45), KG Canaleta (25.15), Marc Pingris (24.951), Joe Devance (24.42) and James Yap (24.375).

Out of the list is reigning MVP Mark Caguioa who missed most of the second conference. He was the BPC race leader before going down with an injury near the halfway mark of the elims.

Abueva and Tenorio finished in a virtual dead-heat but the latter emerged the runaway winner in the balloting among players, media and PBA officials.

To keep his competitive edge, Abueva is seeking treatment to his knee injury in Beijing next month. He decided to push through with his China treatment, begging off from joining Smart Gilas’ Lithuanian training.

Team officials said Abueva endured pain on his knee from midway of the Commissioner’s Cup elims.