PBA Press Corps to hail Poy Erram as best defensive player

Two of the PBA’s rising big men will get a share of the limelight when the PBA Press Corps holds the 25th anniversary celebration of its Annual Awards Night.

John Paul Erram and Vic Manuel will receive two of the traditional awards that the men and women who regularly covers the PBA beat will hand out on January 21 at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center.

The 6-foot-8 Erram will be honored with the Defensive Player of the Year trophy, while Manuel – known as the ‘Muscleman’ – is the handpicked choice for Mr Quality Minutes during the affair presented by Cignal TV.

Erram, who just made the Mythical 2nd team for the first time in his career, emerged as the leading shot blocker last season with average of 1.9 per game while playing for Blackwater. Now with NLEX, he consistently topped the department during the Philippine Cup and Commissioner’s Cup (among locals), respectively, while placing third in the Governors’ Cup.

A native of Licab, Nueva Ecija, the 6-foot-4 Manuel came off the bench in all 50 games he played for Alaska and averaged 16.0 points and 4.8 rebounds as the leading force of the Aces following the trade of star player Calvin Abueva.

Also joining Erram and Manuel in the honor roll list are the first ever PBA D-League Finals MVP awardees of the 2018 season.

Top rookie pick CJ Perez of Zarks-LPU Jawbreakers is the winner in the Aspirants Cup, while the Foundation Cup goes to Go For Gold’s Gab Banal.

Earlier announced among the awardees include Stanley Pringle (Scoring Champion); Chris Tiu (Breakout Player of the Season); Barangay Ginebra-Rain or Shine triple overtime thriller (Game of the Season); Order of Merit (June Mar Fajardo, Paul Lee, Vic Manuel); the All-Rookie team (Jason Perkins, Christian Standhardinger, Paul Zamar, Robbie Herndon, Jeron Teng); and the All-Interview team (Christian Standhardinger, Chris Tiu, Chris Ross, Mike Digregorio, Joe Devance, Yeng Guiao).

Still to be named are the winner of the centerpiece Virgilio “Baby’ Dalupan Coach of the Year, the Danny Floro Executive of the Year, the President’s Award, and the first ever Lifetime Achievement Award.