NLEX's Robert Bolick, the league's top scorer and assist-deliverer, grabbed the early lead in the race for the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) plum of the ongoing PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup.
In his first full conference since his PBA comeback late in the Commissioner's Cup, Bolick unleashed his all-around skills in the Road Warriors' first six games en route to a leading 49.2 average statistical points.
The former San Beda ace set the tone for his BPC bid with a league-best average of 29.5 points spiked by a single game high of 46 all the while emerging as the No. 1 playmaker of the tournament with 7.2 dimes per outing.
Bolick, who also produces 5.8 rebounds a match, paced NorthPort's Arvin Tolentino (43.6 SPs), Terrafirma rookie Stephen Holt (40.2), seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer (37.0) and Rain or Shine's Leonard Santillan (35.9) in the SPs standings through April 7.
CJ Perez of SMB, fresh from his BPC in the Commissioner's Cup, occupied sixth spot with 33.8 followed by TNT's Calvin Oftana (33.3), triple-double poster Beau Belga of Rain or Shine (31.9), Terrafirma gunner Juami Tiongson (31.9) and Ginebra workhorse Christian Standhardinger (31.8).
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Just outside the Top 10 stood NorthPort freshman Cade Flores (31.0), SMB's Don Trollano (30.3), Meralco's Chris Newsome (29.4), Ginebra's Jamie Malonzo (29.0), and Phoenix's Jason Perkins (28.8).
Occupying 15th to 20th were Ginebra's Maverick Ahanmisi (28.7), TNT's RR Pogoy (28.6), NorthPort's Joshua Munzon (28.6), who is No. 1 in steals with 3.6, Blackwater's Troy Rosario (28.3) and SMB's Jericho Cruz (28.3).
Bolick is in the hunt for his first BPC as do Top 5 bets Tolentino (24.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists), top pick Holt (20.2 markers, 8.8 boards, 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals), and Santillan (21.6 points, 9.6 rebounds).
Fajardo, the tournament's premier rebounder with 12.3 per outing that goes with 14.3 points, is running for a record-extending 10th BPC while 10th-running Standhardinger (14.8 points, 10.5 boards, 4.2 dimes) is eyeing his third.
After Holt and Flores (12.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists per game), the other best-performing rookies so far were Batang Pier Zavier Lucero (25.2), ROS's Adrian Nocum (24.3) and TNT's Henry Galinato (21.8). (OL)
