Chasing Milestones Yap, Cabagnot, Santos, Tenorio in exciting races

MANILA, Philippines — Once PBA play resumes, Rain or Shine’s James Yap, San Miguel’s Arwind Santos and Alex Cabagnot, and Ginebra’s LA Tenorio are marquee players to figure in exciting races in chase of new career milestones.

Yap is to push a drive to break into the Top 10 in the all-time scoring ladder even as Santos bids to become a member of the elite 10,000-point club while also trying to boost his position in the Top 10 in the all-time rebounds list.

Meanwhile, Cabagnot and Tenorio are in line to further boost their reputation as among the league’s finest playmakers of all time. Cabagnot is out to crack the Top 5 in all-time assists ladder while Tenorio tries to break into the Top 10.

But at the moment, all they can do is to wait the end of the fight against the deadly infectious disease.

Less than 700 points away from becoming the league’s 16th member of the 10,000-point club, Santos, 38, got off to a hot start in PBA Season 45, pouring in 18 points in their 94-78 conquest of Magnolia during the season inaugurals.

That raised his total to 9,334, getting him closer to No. 19 Arnie Tuadles (9,430), No. 18 Vergel Meneses (9,453) and No. 17 Manny Victorino (9,596).

Yap, also at 38, poses a threat to move ahead of fellow former UE stars Jerry Codiñera and Allan Caidic in the scoring list. The two-time MVP winner has a total of 10,792, 76 away from Codinera’s mark at No. 11 and 927 from Caidic at No. 10.

Santos is galloping stronger in the business of rebounding.

Last season, Santos piled up 341 rebounds and, along the way, raced past Yoyoy Villamin (5,163), Ali Peek (5,167), Abe King (5,222) and Robert Jaworski (5,367) to be at No. 7 in the all-time ladder.

With a total of 5,435 through the 2018-19 campaign, Santos is 399 away from catching up with No. 6 Philip Cezar.

Asi Taulava (6,401) is at No. 4 behind Ramon Fernandez (8,652), Abet Guidaben (8,570) and Codiñera (7,034). But at 47 and in his farewell season, it’s highly unlikely that the NLEX behemoth could catch up with Codiñera.

Prominent in the fight for assists are Cabagnot and Tenorio.

Cabagnot has 3,315 assists, just 86 shy of Jimmy Alapag’s mark at No. 5. If Cabagnot, 37, can sustain his playmaking at least through the next three seasons, he can well erase Johnny Abarrientos’ haul (3,757) at No. 4.

In the top three are Jaworski (5,825), Fernandez (5,220) and Dindo Pumaren (4,083).

Meanwhile, Tenorio (2,950) looms as a threat to Racela’s position (3,085) at No. 10.