Lee, Casio top candidates for Rookie of the Year plum

InterAKTV/Niko Bolante

The 37th season of the PBA began with a debate between JVee Casio and Paul Lee. It looks like that’s how it’s gonna end too.

Powerade’s Casio and Rain or Shine’s Lee, the first and second picks of this season’s draft, lead the list of official candidates for the year’s Rookie of the Year award.

Lee, who led the Elasto Painters to their first finals appearance in franchise history, topped with statistical points race with an average of 25.4 SPs. Casio, who was instrumental in Powerade’s Cinderella run to the Philippine Cup finals, is right behind him at second place, at 24.1 SPs.

Marcio Lassiter, who teamed with Casio at Powerade before being traded to Petron midway through the season, is third with 21.4 SPs. The Filipino-American swingman was the pacesetter for the award after the first two conferences, but missed the whole Governors’ Cup because of a hand injury.

Dylan Ababou of Barangay Ginebra (17.4 SPs) and James Sena of Air 21 (16.8 SPs) round out the official list of candidates.

Another prominent rookie, Chris Lutz of Petron, was deemed ineligible for the award after missing huge parts of the season because of injury.

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