‘Fajardo will have his day in PBA’

PHILIPPINE Basketball Association veteran center Danny Ildefonso believes that Cebuano slotman Junemar Fajardo has what it takes to become the league MVP in two years.

But, meantime, the 6’10” former University of Cebu Webmaster will have to celebrate his first PBA accolade—his first-ever Player of the Week honors for March 11-17.

Fajardo led the Petron Blaze Boosters to an 87-79 win over the streaking Rain or Shine Elasto Painters last Saturday in an out-of-town game in Panabo City in Davao del Sur.

Petron played without an import after the PBA commissioner’s office banned Reinaldo Balkman for life for choking teammate Arwind Santos.

Fajardo stood his ground against RoS import Bruno Sundov and scored 20 points on top of 13 rebounds, two assists and one block in just 25 minutes in action.

Ildefonso, a two-time PBA MVP himself, took time off to coach Fajardo the useful offensive moves that could help him become the league’s top big man, while veteran banger Dorian Pena is also helping him with some defensive tricks that could be useful in dominating the middle.

Fajardo is working hard to prove himself worthy of being Petron’s overall No. 1 draft pick last year.

While Fajardo is slowly showing his full potential, another Cebuano center is about to enter the league in the PBA rookie draft pick in November.

Seven-footer Greg Slaughter, a former member of the University of the Visayas Green Lancers, has openly announced his intention to join the rookie drafting.

Slaughter is playing with NLEX in the PBA D-League, while training with the Gilas Pilipinas squad being the only amateur player among the 17 candidates that also include Fajardo.

Slaughter could be the runaway choice as the overall top pick in the draft that would also include San Sebastian College’s top slotman Ain Sangalang.