RHJ makes case for Best Import

The Best Import award will be given before Game 4 of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals between back-to-back defending champion Barangay Ginebra and TNT at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.  The sentimental favorite to win it is Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee who’s now a naturalized Filipino. But the stats indicate that TNT’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson deserves the trophy.

In the reckoning, stats comprise 40 percent while media and player votes, 30 percent each. The Office of the Commissioner used to cast a vote, too but now, it only makes the tally and presents the award. That’s to avoid any controversy or doubt of partiality. The accountable stats are up to the semifinals so that only the imports who made it to the Final Four are in contention. Aside from Brownlee and RHJ, other candidates are San Miguel Beer’s Cameron Clark and Meralco’s KJ McDaniels.

Leading the statistical points is RHJ with 57.1 points on averages of 30.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 6.5 assists. Brownlee is next in the ladder with 27.3 points, 10.5 rebounds and 6.9 assists for a statistical rating of 52.5. Up to the semis, TNT was 14-2, losing only to NLEX in the elims and Meralco in the semis. In contrast, Ginebra was 12-3, bowing to Magnolia, San Miguel and TNT in the elims. McDaniels is third with 49.2 points and Clark, fourth with 48.7.

In computing for statistical points, the PBA follows this formula – one point for every point scored, rebound, assist, steal and blocked shot; 10 bonus points for every game won up to the semifinals; deduction of a point for every turnover, five points for every technical or flagrant foul without ejection and 15 points for any technical or flagrant foul resulting in ejection.

Although stats in the Finals don’t count, it must be mentioned that RHJ is racking up more stats than Brownlee even as Ginebra leads the series, 2-1. In Game 1, RHJ had 30 points, 20 rebounds and five assists while Brownlee compiled 31 points, 12 rebounds and four assists. In Game 2, Brownlee collected 12 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists to RHJ’s 23 points, 19 rebounds and nine assists. In Game 3, RHJ put up 32 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to Brownlee’s 29 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

Curiously, Brownlee has claimed the Best Import award only thrice despite winning six titles in six Finals with Ginebra. It’s a testament to his unselfish nature in playing team basketball with individual honors taking a backseat as a distraction to the focus of capturing the championship. Brownlee never made it to the NBA and got as far as playing for New York and Charlotte in two Summer Leagues. But he’s won six pennants in the PBA and one each in the Lebanese league and ABL. RHJ is playing in his first PBA season and his first Finals anywhere. While Brownlee is a cold-blooded assassin, RHJ is an emotional executioner who plays with burning emotion. RHJ played for three teams in six NBA seasons and isn’t a stranger to overseas action with experience in Turkey, Puerto Rico and Korea before moving to TNT. A tweet from a PBA fan described RHJ as a Kobe Bryant play-alike (and look-alike) and Brownlee a Michael Jordan play-alike. It’s a fair comparison as both imports are top quality. They both deserve the Best Import award for what they’ve done this conference but as the saying goes, there can only be one.