By ADRIAN STEWART CO
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings forward Japeth Aguilar and Rain or Shine Elasto Painters rookie Gian Mamuyac made a huge leap after two weeks of voting for the 2023 PBA All-Star Games slated from March 9 to 12 in Iloilo province’s Passi City.
The 6-foot-9 Aguilar made a surprise jump to the no. 1 spot from his no. 3 rank after the first week of onsite and online voting after receiving 190,273 votes.
Aguilar’s teammate Earl Scottie Thompson kept his no. 2 spot with 186,187 votes, while erstwhile top vote-getter June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beermen dipped into third spot with 183,903.
After the voting ends on February 15, the two top vote-getters will earn the distinction of forming their respective All-Star squad from 22 more players.
For his part, Mamuyac also made a giant leap after barging into the Top 10 at no. 6 with a total of 170,359 votes, after not being among the top 24 players in the first week of voting.
Mamuyac, the no. 5 overall pick of the Painters in the 2022 PBA Rookie Draft, now leads the fans’ choices for the Rookie/Sophomores-Juniors game with a separate vote of 205,616.
Gin Kings’ Jamie Malonzo and Calvin Abueva of Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots kept their fourth and fifth slots with 174,112 and 172,383 votes, respectively.
Painters’ James Yap went a notch higher at no. 7 with 170,313, followed by Kings’ Christian Standhardinger (169,718), Beermen’s Jaymar Perez (169,036) and Kings’ LA Tenorio (166,317).
The rest of the players who made it to the Top 24 list were Ginebra’s Stanley Pringle (163,595), Magnolia’s Paul Lee (156,482), TNT Tropang Giga’s Jayson Castro (155,800), Beermen’s Terrence Romeo (155,651), free agent Robert Bolick, Jr. (150,241), Magnolia’s Mark Barroca (147,995), Gin Kings’ Jeremiah Gray (146,966), Beermen’s Marcio Lassiter (145,335), TNT’s Roger Pogoy (145,274), NorthPort Batang Pier’s Arvin Tolentino (144,439), Meralco Bolts’ Chris Newsome (144,422), TNT’s Mikey Williams (142,810), NLEX Road Warriors’ Kevin Alas (137,626), and Painters’ Gabe Norwood (137,445).
Fans’ choices for the two coaching slots remain in favor of veterans Gin Kings’ Tim Cone (224,430) and Painters’ Yeng Guiao (208,429) with PBA rookie coach Aldin Ayo of Converge FiberXers still at no. 3 with 142,155./ASC, WDJ