PBA Press Corps to fete San Mig stars in rites

MANILA, Philippines - Three players from Grand Slam champion San Mig Super Coffee will be feted with individual honors by the PBA Press Corps during its 2014 Annual Awards Night on Thursday at the Richmond Hotel in Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City.

For the third time in his career, forward Marc Pingris won the Defensive Player of the Year – the same award bestowed on him last year and in 2006 by the same group, which covers the PBA beat.

With three Defensive Player of the Year plums under his belt, Pingris now ties former Shell stopper Chris Jackson, who also won the award in 1998, 1999 and 2001.

Pingris averaged 9.75 points and 7.44 rebounds last season.

San Mig teammates Peter June Simon and Mark Barroca, meanwhile, copped the Quality Minutes and Order of Merit awards, respectively.

Simon averaged 13.52 points, 3.39 assists, and 1.64 assists in a special season that saw the Mixers complete a sweep of all three finals conferences.

Barroca was the automatic choice as Order of Merit Awardee for the number of times he was named  Accel-PBA Press Corps Player of the Week winner. He normed 10.72 points, 3.83 rebounds, and 2.68 assists.

Also to be honored in the event backed by PBA, Alaska, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, Barako Bull, Blackwater Sports, Globalport, Kia Motors, Meralco, NLEX, Rain or Shine, San Mig Super Coffee, San Miguel Beer and Talk ‘N Text are two other players who made a huge impact last season.

Air21’s Asi Taulava will be the latest recipient of the Bogs Adornado Comeback Player of the Year award, while Talk ’N Text’s Jayson Castro is going to be honored as Scoring Champion.

In his first full season back in the PBA, Taulava, the oldest in the league at 41, showed he can still be a dominant force inside by averaging 14.75 points and 12.38 rebounds last season that saw him figure in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) derby eventually won by June Mar Fajardo.