Who’ll be All-Star Game MVP?

Scottie Thompson, nursing a bad back, won’t be able to play for coach Tim Cone’s Team Japeth against coach Jorge Gallent’s Team Mark in the highlight of the PBA All-Star extravaganza at the University of St. La Salle gym in Bacolod City tonight.

With Thompson’s absence and Christian Standhardinger also unavailable, Cone will work with 13 players while Gallent will deploy a full complement of 15. A cash prize of P150,000 awaits the winner with the runner-up taking home P75,000. The All-Star Game MVP will receive a bonus of P30,000.

The contest will feature a few innovations. There will be no 30-second timeouts. Each team has one timeout per quarter and three in the last period so a total of six for the game. A converted slam dunk will count for three points and a shot made from an arc of 27 feet will count for four points. All other PBA playing rules will be in effect, including no player timeouts, team foul limit and six personals to disqualify on fouls.

The big question is who will bag the MVP trophy? Both teams are bannered by two previous All-Star Game MVPs. Team Japeth lists Paul Lee (2023) and Terrence Romeo (2015, 2017 Visayas leg, 2018 Luzon leg) while Team Mark has James Yap (2012) and Gabe Norwood (2010). Of course, Japeth Aguilar and Mark Barroca are MVP candidates, too, since they earned the right to headline the opposing teams as the top vote-getters in the fan balloting.

Traditionally, the All-Star Game is a showcase of offensive skills with a lot of three-point shooting, open court transition situations and dunk opportunities. Cone has the luxury of deploying Ginebra teammates Jamie Malonzo, Maverick Ahanmisi, Stanley Pringle and Aguilar so familiarity will be an advantage. Gallent has two San Miguel Beer stars on his side with June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez plus four Magnolia mainstays Barroca, Jio Jalalon, Ian Sangalang and Calvin Abueva. 

Cone worked with Arvin Tolentino, Calvin Oftana, Chris Newsome, Marcio Lassiter and Aguilar at the Asian Games last year so they’re reunited in Bacolod. Others in Team Japeth are Mo Tautuaa, RR Pogoy and Aris Dionisio. For Team Mark, Gallent enjoys the edge in the interior with Fajardo, Sangalang, Jason Perkins, Cliff Hodge and Abueva. On the firing end, Gallent will lean on Robert Bolick, Juami Tiongson and Ricci Rivero with Jayson Castro and Nards Pinto alternating at the point.

Everyone has a chance to become MVP. All 28 players are in the All-Star Game for a reason. They’re stars in their own right and one of them will rise above the rest to take home the MVP trophy and the P30,000 prize. Who will claim MVP honors?