Gabe Freeman To Win Back to Back Best Import Award? Yes, It’s Possible!
Photo Credit: PBA.PH
With the way Gabe Freeman plays this conference, there’s no doubt that he has a strong case to win a back-to-back Best Import Award for the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference.
An article from Manila Bulletin tells us why.
July 5, 2010, 6:24pm
Source: Manila BulletinSan Miguel Beer’s versatile import Gabe Freeman is on track of winning a second straight Best Import trophy, and become the first back-to-back winner in 18 years as he finished in the top five at the end of classification phase in the PBA Fiesta Cup.
The 6-foot-6 Freeman actually finished fifth in the race for the Best Import award, but since the Beermen earned outright slot in the semifinals of the reinforced-conference, the one-time Costa Mesa Community College star is an automatic candidate.
Freeman averaged 20.9 points and 16.6 rebounds per game in the classification, while helping SMB finish with a 13-5 win-loss record.
In San Miguel Beer’s playoff victory last week opposite sister-team and reigning Philippine Cup champion B-Meg Derby Ace, Freeman scattered 20 points, grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked three shots to help his team claim the second outright seat in the Final Four.
Freeman has collected a total of 726 Statistical Points, or an average of 45.4 SPs.
The last import to win consecutive Best Import trophies was Shell Turbo Chargers’ Bobby Parks, who actually won a record seven straight when the league-format then was three conferences, two of which were with reinforcements.
Interestingly, Rain or Shine’s Rod Nealy, who played only a pair of games in the classification after replacing Jai Lewis, leads the Best Import race with 63.0 SPs with averages of 33.5 points, 16.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists.
Two imports are in the top five, although their respective teams were eliminated in the knockout wildcard phase, Air21’s Leroy Hickerson (No. 2, 57.6 SPs) and Sta. Lucia Realty’s Anthony Johnson (No. 4, 46.3 SPs).
At third spot is Alaska’s Diamon Simpson, who has 49.8 SPs with 26.5 points, 15.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steal and 1.5 blocks a game.
Also earning automatic nomination is Talk ’N Text’s Shawn Daniels, the dominating inside force for the Tropang Texters as they topped the classification with a 15-3 card highlighted by a franchise record of 13 straight wins.
The wide-bodied Daniels averaged 13.3 points, 13.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.2 steals and 2.3 shot blocks in the classification. He has 40.6 SPs.
Still in the race for the Best Import are B-Meg’s Cliff Brown (No. 6, 43.5 SPs) and Coca-Cola’s John Williamson (No. 7, 42.3 SPs). Sammy Monroe, whose team Barako Bull was the first to be eliminated, is at No. 9 (39.5 SPs).
Barangay Ginebra’s Denham Brown is actually in the list at No. 10 (36.0 SPs) but he was already replaced by Chris Daniels.
Meanwhile, the second do-or-die game in the wildcard round is set tomorrow between Rain or Shine and Coke at the Araneta Coliseum after both teams eliminated their respective opponents, as the Tigers beat the Realtors (100-84), while the Elasto Painters edged the Express (92-89).
In the best-of-five quarterfinals, the wildcard survivor will face B-Meg Derby Ace, while Ginebra battles Alaska.
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July 6th, 2010 at 12:26 pm
if smb will at least reach the finals then freeman’s chance of winning the best import award becomes almost a done deal because of the performance he has been dishing off these past games of the team, he can count on the players’ votes an of coaches’ too plus the media since he deals with them very well.if smb successfully defends its crown then double celebrations are in order, oh inuman na!
August 2nd, 2010 at 3:20 pm
Now that SMB entered the finals ahead of everybody. Gabe is a sure Best Import Awardee. Why?
1.) His stats is going up as the tournament is getting
tougher (classification then semis).
2.) His importance is evident when he missed two successive games during the classification due to fever. SMB losses those 2 games until GSM, Alaska, B-Meg and of course TNT (stringing up 12 wins in a row). SMB even goes to the play-off with B-Meg. Then he returned and the rest is history beating B-Meg 5 more times.
3.) He’s maturing from a mercurial intensified player to a thinking , temper-checked player. Result? He finishes majority of the games without fouling out.
4.) He compliments for the whole team with his basketball IQ and savvy.
Now, from the current imports playing right now can they do what Gabe has done so far???