The Commissioner’s Cup is the first of two conferences in the PBA wherein foreign reinforcements are brought in by every team with the hopes of bagging the championship.
This conference has seen quite a number of imports who came, was sent home, stayed and performed as perfect complements to their local counterparts.
Coming into the semifinal round, the one who stands among the rest is Talk ‘N Text’s Richard Howell. With his team steamrolling into a 9-0 finish in the elimination round and a one-game drubbing of Brgy. Ginebra in the quarters, his stat line was something to be emulated by future imports. 22.6 PPG, 19.9 BPG, 1.4 APG, 1.6 SPG and 0.6 BPG for a guy playing the 4 or 5 position for his team is huge. Now, with the Texters tied with the San Mig Coffee Mixers in their Finals series, he is considered as a lock for the said award.
His counterpart in the Mixers’ side of things, James Mays, is no fluke as well.
He had a 20.6 PPG, 15.4 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.9 SPG, and 1.6 BPG makes him a great anchor of the triangle offense being employed by Tim Cone for his team. Along with being one of the original imports remaining, he is challenging Howell as the best this conference.
Air21’s Wesley Witherspoon is also in consideration because of the team’s performance this conference. They were one win away from entering the Finals, only to succumb to the Mixers in Game 5 of their semifinal showdown.
The sweet shooting big man, however, was just a replacement to the Express’s original import, Herve Lamizana, that alone could cause him the award.
This, along with the Best Player of the Conference will be handed out before the start of Game 3 tonight at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
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