For some added reference, let’s look at the recent past.
In 2009, Ginebra’s Jayjay Helterbrand was named MVP. His team won 28 of 51 games for a 55% win rate. Ginebra didn’t win a title but made the Finals of the Fiesta Conference.
In 2010, James Yap copped his second MVP trophy. His team won the Philippine Cup and had a cumulative win-loss record of 41 victories against 23 losses for a 64% win rate.
In 2011, TNT’s Jimmy Alapag pocketed the MVP, leading the Tropang Texters to three Finals appearances and two conference titles. TNT nearly won the Grand Slam this season. They won 47 of 64 games for a 73% win percentage.
In 2012, it was another Gin King, the iconic Mark Caguioa, who reached the MVP summit. Now what makes this interesting is, like Fajardo, Caguioa’s team never reached any of the Conference Finals. Ginebra was eliminated in the Philippine Cup quarterfinals, Commish Cup semifinals, and Govs’ Cup via a Finals berth playoff game loss (by 2 points) to B-Meg. The Kings’ cumulative record was just 25-19, which was good for a win rate of 57%.
Last season, Petron Blaze Booster Arwind Santos was awarded the MVP trophy, but it wasn’t without controversy. Some quarters felt that perhaps someone like LA Tenorio (or even Rookie of the Year Calvin Abueva) would have been a tad more deserving. Ultimately, though, Santos’s winning the Govs’ Cup BPC and his leading Petron to the Govs’ Cup Finals cemented his MVP win (It was close, however, as Tenorio lost by just 21 points — mainly because of the SPs and media votes — in the final tally).
And so there it is. Out of the five most recent PBA MVPs, only Mark Caguioa was unable to lead his team to at least a Conference Finals in the same season he won the MVP.
Will Fajardo be the same? Should he be named season MVP in spite of his team’s perpetual shortcomings?
The short answer is yes.