Standhardinger credits BPC award to ‘working’ Batang Pier system
BIG MAN Christian Standhardinger won his first major individual award in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) on Wednesday after being named the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) in the ongoing Governors’ Cup.
It is an accolade he is very proud of and something he largely credits to the system they have at Northport Batang Pier which allows himself and the rest of his teammates to thrive and contribute.
Acquired by Northport in a mid-tournament trade with the San Miguel Beermen for fellow big man Mo Tautuaa, Filipino-German Mr. Standhardinger did not waste much time making his presence felt and pushing the Batang Pier to be an instant contender.
In 11 games in the Governors’ Cup with Northport, the 2017 top overall rookie pick had averages of 22.7 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals.
They finished as the eighth seeds at the end of the elimination round but went all the way to the semifinals, upsetting top seeds NLEX Road Warriors in the quarterfinals by negating a twiceto-win disadvantage.
Mr. Standhardinger, 30, said his role considerably changed after being shipped to Northport from powerhouse San Miguel but the transition was made easier as he got a lot of support from his teammates and coaching staff, apart from his family and friends. “I appreciate what my teammates have done to me at Northport. They put me in a great position to be able to do my thing. It was fun playing with them and fight with them,” said Mr. Standhardinger.
“It’s a team award more than anything else. I’m thankful to my coach at NorthPort (Pido Jarencio), and to my teammates that worked hard. I’m honored,” he added.
The 6’8” big man went on to say that while he is happy with the award, primary still for him is to achieve team success, something he hopes to be able to do with the Batang Pier.
Prior to being shipped to Northport, Mr. Standhardinger won two PBA titles with the Beermen.
“A championship is so much more than a personal award. Ten out of 10 times, I’d exchange it for one championship,” he said.
In winning the award, Mr. Standhardinger bested former teammate at San Miguel June Mar Fajardo, TNT’s Jayson Castro, Columbian’s CJ Perez and NLEX’s Kiefer Ravena.
Mr. Standhardinger got 1,011 points in the race ahead of Messrs. Fajardo (657), Castro (615), Perez (506) and Ravena (481).
Accounted for in the award are statistical points, media, player and PBA office votes.
Next for Mr. Standhardinger is a national team stint for the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup in February.