Tim Cone, Ginebra fans stand up for Christian Standhardinger as Finals MVP.
10.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals. Those are Fil-German player Christian Standhardinger's averages in seven games of the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals. He's the Finals MVP.
It may not seem like much. His teammate, Scottie Thompson, had 17.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists, as the 2021 Governors' Cup Finals MVP. But the fans knew the recognition for CStan was well-deserved.
Coach Tim Cone described the attention to be fitting.
"He represented through the seven games the hard work we had to do to stay with this team the whole way," the defensive-minded coach said in the post-game press conference.
"Usually, you're not going to recognize that guy as the guy who does all the hard work and does the defense. He defended Nicholson early, he set all the screens, he's running all over the place. He just comes in and plays there every time."
In the semifinals, Andrew Nicholson went out and scored 30 points in his worst game against the San Miguel Beermen. His best scoring game against SMB? He dropped 42.
In the three games he played against Ginebra, the Canadian reinforcement only averaged over 26 points per game.
Watch these highlights again, but look for No. 34. Check how Standhardinger ensured Nicholson would not be an option for Bay Area in this sequence in Game 1.
In the Commissioner's Cup Finals, Standhardinger was most effective in Game 1 with 16 points, 10 rebounds —
nine from the defensive end — along with four assists and two steals. He can also make shots even as he falls.
Germany has a way with words to define thoughts and feelings like no other language has. Fingerspitzengefühl, translated loosely as the "finger tips feeling," describes the instinctive and immediate response to an escalated situation.
CStan just embodied this with his literal body and fingertips as the 6-foot-8 Ginebra player outrebounded a 6-foot-10 Canadian to get the tip and the point in Game 1
He also gave plenty of grief against Myles Powell and big man Liu Chuanxing in Game 7.
Standhardinger was just as effective in Game 7 with 12 points and 10 rebounds —
again with nine on the defensive end
—
along with six assists.
And against skinnier players like Kobey Lam, CStan was basically one big shadow.
"I'm really, really pleased that he was honored for that and recognized for that, rather than just give it to the guy who's the top scorer," Cone gushed. "That's what we tend to do. So I'm really pleased that Chris got it. Chris deserved it."