Abueva bags top player plum

Alaska forward Calvin Abueva bagged his first ever Best Player of the Conference (BPC) award, beating Barangay Ginebra San Miguel center Greg Slaughter for the top individual honor in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

The 6-2 Abueva, now on his fifth season in the league, collected a total of 1,150 points from a combined 413 Statistical Points and 737 votes from media (493), players (94) and Commissioner’s Office (150).

Abueva finished third overall in the SP race with 32.7 behind the 7-foot Slaughter (34.2) and Globalport guard Terrence Romeo (33.0).

However, with the Aces reaching the finals while the Kings and the Batang Pier eliminated in the playoffs, there was no denying Abueva from claiming the BPC – becoming the first Alaska player to win the award since Willie Miller won the award back in 2009 Philippine Cup.

Abueva has averaged 17.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals this conference.

With the win, Abueva has earned a spot as an automatic contender in the MVP race together with San Miguel Beer’s June Mar Fajardo, who won the first BPC award this season during the Philippine Cup.

Slaughter, the former Rookie of the Year, finished second with 752 points, ahead of Romeo (488), Tropang TNT’s Jayson Castro (482) and Blackwater’s Carlo Lastimosa (378).

Meralco’s Arinze Onuaku, meantime, was named the Bobby Parks Best Import, becoming the first reinforcement to win the award despite not making it to the finals since Arizona Reid in 2011 Governors’ Cup.

Onuaku received 1,132 points as he led the SP race with 555 points, and collected 452 votes from media, 50 from players and 75 from Commissioner’s Office to beat Rain or Shine’s Pierre Henderson-Niles (871), Rob Dozier of Alaska (692) and Reid of SMB (555). – Waylon Galvez