This appears on ABS-CBN's website.
Thus far Arwind Santos
is putting up Finals MVP numbers
by rick olivares pic by nuki sabio
When I first saw Arwind Santos, he was playing for
the Far Eastern University Tamaraws. Even in his first year with the
Morayta-based school in 2002, he was an uncommonly solid player with a sure
ball and keen defensive instincts. And that only proved to be an understatement
as he became a big time player for FEU leading them to titles in 2003 and 2005
(I won’t say they won it in 2004 as it was merely awarded to them after La
Salle was stripped of the crown).
He also led Viva Mineral Water and Magnolia each to a
Philippine Basketball League championship.
In the Philippine Basketball Association, Santos won
a championship with San Miguel during a run to the 2011 Governors’ Cup. Now he
has the Beermen on the cusp of another title as his squad has posted a 3-2
series lead.
While the series isn’t over (as it could go the full
route of seven matches should Alaska forge a no-tomorrow Game Seven), I believe
that thus far, Arwind Santos has been the Most Valuable Player for the San
Miguel Beermen (his Kapampangan rival at Alaska, Calvin Abueva is his team’s own
MVP and should they come back to take this championship will no doubt be
adjudged Finals MVP). The Angeles City-native has averaged 35-plus minutes and
put up a statistical line of 16.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4
steals, and 2.4 blocks in five matches. Moreover, he has done this while
extensively guarding Abueva.
Santos has also carried this team where the
Philippine Cup’s Best Player, JuneMar Fajardo, has struggled with Alaska’s
defensive schemes. Alex Cabagnot has blown mostly cold. Chris Lutz was for the
most part the most consistent Beerman but scored only four points in Game Five.
Santos, on the other hand, has been consistent and quietly spectacular.
In this series where the man nicknamed “the Beast”
has knocked him around and even bloodied him, Santos still has the upper hand.
SMB’s do-it all forward put the clamps on Abueva during crunch time in Game
Five that has the Beermen on the precipice of another championship. He has
traded points and barbs with Abueva adding color and fire to an already-charged
title series between two of the PBA’s all-time greatest teams.
Again, the Finals isn’t done, but right now, Arwind
Santos has shown that he is still an elite player and no doubt should be
considered a candidate for the national team.
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