Monday, February 18, 2008 Williams leads race for PBA Best Player
MANILA—Fil-Am Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia and 6-foot-6 Kerby Raymundo of Purefoods emerged as the strongest candidates for the 2008 Smart-PBA Philippine Cup “Best Player of the Conference” award.
However, between the two protagonists in the on-going best-of-seven championship series, the 6-foot-6 Williams, the top pick in the 2006 annual draft, has the strongest chance over the 27-year-old Raymundo after finishing a close second behind leader Arwind Santos of Air 21 in the overall statistical points at the end of the semifinal round.
Williams, a former college standout of Oakland University in Michigan, USA, settled with an average of 36.8 statistical points, just 0.3 points behind Santos, who accumulated the highest average of 37.1 points before the Express bowed out of contention in the two-round wildcard phase.
The Orio, Bataan born Raymundo finished fifth in the overall list with an average of 32.9 SPs, while teammate James Yap, the 2006 MVP, could only managed 32.2, which is just good for sixth.
But the unwritten rules of selecting the conference bests states that only the top five players in the overall statistical points can qualify as candidates for the prestigious honor, won by Marc Caguioa of the ousted defending titlist Barangay Ginebra last year.
Coveted
As the finals series goes on, Williams, a member of the RP national squad that saw action in the 2008 FIBA-Asia Championship in Tokushima, Japan last year, is expected to overtake Santos’ for the overall SPs standing, thus making him the brightest choice for the coveted individual honor at the end of the conference.
Williams is sixth in scoring with 17.9 points a game, 4th in the rebound department with 11.0 a game and tied with Santos in the most double-double with identical 17 apiece.
The former Letran Knights center-forward Raymundo may pull some surprises from other players, team captains or managers, who will be also casting their votes in the selection.
Completing the top five were 6-foot-9 Asi Taulava of Coca-Cola Tigers with 36.8, followed by 2007 MVP Wellie Miller of Alaska with 36.2. (FCC)
