MANILA, Philippines – In a different circumstance, Bay Area star Myles Powell would have been a Best Import frontrunner.

But Powell is not in the running for the honor as players from the Dragons are ineligible for any individual award due to their nature as a PBA guest team.

That fact frustrates the former NBA player considering he averages a league-leading 38.2 points on top of 8.3 rebounds and 2.2 steals to help Bay Area become the first squad to qualify for the Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals.

“Very much so,” said Powell when asked if he is disappointed about his non-inclusion in the Best Import battle. “Especially thinking that I am the best import here.”

The Dragons have been undefeated in six games with Powell serving as their reinforcement.

Powell powered Bay Area to a 4-0 start before he got sidelined for a month as the Dragons activated Andrew Nicholson as their import for the next four games.

But the month-long layoff hardly slowed down Powell, who marked his return with a 50-point explosion in a 33-point rout of Rain or Shine on Friday, October 11.

On Sunday, the former Philadelphia 76ers guard continued his stretch of big-time performances, churning out 36 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals in a 118-98 drubbing of NLEX as Bay Area improved to 8-2.

But Powell clarified the Dragons’ team success comes first before any personal honor.

“A championship is better than winning an individual award. That is what we came here to do,” he said.

“We came here to win a championship and bring a championship to the program. So that would mean more to me than winning that.”

A PBA title is not unlikely for Bay Area as it posts a whopping winning margin of 24.5 points.

Five of the Dragons’ eight wins were decided by at least 20 points, including their 54-point annihilation of Terrafirma and 46-point thrashing of Blackwater.

“We’re playing good basketball right now,” Powell said. “We’re going to keep listening to our coach and put it in his hands and we’ll follow. We’ll follow everything we’ve been doing.” – Rappler.com