BY NOLI CORTEZ
STA. Lucia Realty forward Kelly Williams has taken another
great stride in his young pro career.
Last year’s Rookie of the Year has been adjudged as the Best
Player of the Conference of the Smart PBA Philippine Cup, making him a prime
candidate for the season MVP plum.
After garnering 1,393 points from statistics and votes from
the players, TV coveror ABC-5, PBA and media, the 25-year-old handily won the
season-opening individual award.
"It’s a great honor," said the 6-foot-6 Fil-Am with Cebuano
roots. "There are a lot of great players out there and just to be included among
them is an honor in itself."
He practically topped every vote-getting there is in beating
two-time MVP Willie Miller of Alaska and lining himself up for the highest
individual award in the 33-year-old league.
Miller wound up with 878 points, Purefoods’ Kerby Raymundo
810, Air21’s Arwind Santos a far fourth with 413 and Coca-Cola’s Asi Taulava
390.
Williams earned 307 points from the stats, a whopping 542
from the media, 263 from ABC-5, 132 from the PBA and tied with Miller from
players’ votes with 149.
The FIBA Asia veteran couldn’t have won it, he added, without
the help of the rest of the Realtors.
"It’s the efforts of the team, the way we work, push each
other hard. It’s really a product of everybody doing their part," he said prior
to the awards ceremony that precedes Game 4 of the SLR-Purefoods championship
series at the Araneta Coliseum.
Williams is averaging 18.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.1 steals
per game in the conference and 19.0 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3
steals in the Finals.
