Matchups: SMB’s 2 MVPs vs Aces Casio, Abueva

MANILA, Philippines - Looking at the stats, Alaska coach Alex Compton is right that San Miguel Beer is not just about Junemar Fajardo.

San Miguel is a well-balanced unit with no less than five players averaging double-digit scoring numbers and two others contributing at least 6.18 points a game.

Fajardo is the team’s No. 1 weapon with tournament-best norms of 19.2 points, 12.47 rebounds and 2.07 blocks, then there are also Arwind Santos, Alex Cabagnot, Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz with their solid all-around numbers.

Santos and Cabagnot are among Fajardo’s closest pursuers in the Best Player of the Conference derby with the former averaging 15.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.87 assists and 1.27 blocks and the latter making 14.75 markers, 5.0 boards and 3.25 dish-outs an outing.

Lassiter and Lutz have also been big factors for SMB as they combine for almost 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists per game.

Ronald Tubid, Doug Kramer, Jeric Fortuna, Chris Ross and Rico Maierhofer are the other key members of coach Leo Austria’s core rotation.

“Arwind Santos and Junemar Fajardo are the league’s last two MVP winners. They are really MVPs and they’re surrounded by other good players. Cabagnot, Lassiter, Lutz and Tubid are all athletes,” said Compton.

Austria, for his part, said Alaska also has many lethal weapons, making special mention of Jvee Casio and his good playmaking skills.

“Jvee Casio is among the league’s best point guards right now. He makes things happen for their team,” said Austria.

Casio is the Alaska player that plays the longest minutes (28.44), and the former Gilas stalwart averages 10 points, 3.33 assists and 2.94.

Calvin Abueva is Alaska’s top gun with 15.83 points and 11.78 rebounds per game while Vic Manuel is the other Alaska player averaging double number with 10.78 markers an outing.

The Beermen, as a whole, average 90.3 points, 50.3 rebounds and 17.8 assists while the Aces norm 87.8 points, 51.4 rebounds and 18.2 assists.

Defensively, San Miguel yields only 80.3 points an outing while Alaska gives away 81.3 per game.