NBA Awards

MVP – LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers
29.7 PPG 7.3 RPG 8.6 APG

There are some that say the award is LeBron’s to lose for the next 10 years at least.  I’d have to disagree with that assumption.  He is probably the best player in the NBA today, but there are so many other great players.  Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard, Kevin Durant are just three of the other contenders for the MVP award for the next decade.  LeBron though just continues to get better with age and experience.  He is motivated to get the ring and it shows in his play.  No one will ever average a triple double for a season again, but if someone were to do it, LeBron would come closest.  Durant will finish second to LeBron by a wide margin.

Coach of the Year – Nate McMillan Portland Trail Blazers
50-32 Record without Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla for most of the season

I don’t think anyone could ask for more out of a team that loses two centers and Brandon Roy for portions of the season.  McMillan went with a small lineup until the Blazers acquired Marcus Camby from the Clippers.  Throughout all the turmoil, he never let it become an excuse as to why the Blazers were having a down year.  McMillan kept them in contention and they finished ahead of the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder for the sixth seed in the playoffs.  It is always amazing when a coach can keep a team together when there is so much going wrong.  McMillan is the most deserving for what he has accomplished.

Rookie of the Year – Tyreke Evans Sacramento Kings
20.1 PPG 5.3 RPG 5.8 APG

Not that I said that Evans was going to be a bad player when the Kings drafted him, I just didn’t think it was the right fit.  The Kings didn’t have the greatest season, but Evans proved he was the right pick for them.  Not since LeBron James entered the league had a rookie averaged 20-5-5.  Very impressive considering he wasn’t the favorite to win with Brandon Jennings in Milwaukee scoring 55 points early in the season, but he faded fast after that.  Stephen Curry of the Golden Stat Warriors will get votes, but his numbers are not nearly as impressive as Evans.  Curry wasn’t the best player on his team like Evans was the entire year.  Now the Kings need to surround him with some talent.

Sixth Man – Jamal Crawford Atlanta Hawks
18.0 PPG 2.5 RPG 3.0 APG

The smart money is on Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs.  However, when the Hawks needed a spark when Joe Johnson was out or when Josh Smith and Mike Bibby weren’t on their game, Crawford was there ready to step in.  Not many expected him to have much success with so many shooters on the team, but he was mixed in perfectly to compensate for instant scoring off the bench.  Crawford will be causing matchup problems in the playoffs where he can play the point, two guard and three in a small lineup.  The Hawks have their secret weapon and it involves a former Chicago Bull, New York Knick and Golden State Warrior.  Surprising isn’t it.

Defensive Player of the Year – Dwight Howard Orlando Magic
18.3 PPG 13.2 RPG 2.8 BPG

This is an award that will probably be in his hands for the next decade.  No one owns the paint on the defensive end like Howard does.  Orlando is back in contention due to Howard’s play on the defensive side.  The Magic know that and the plan is simple.  He stays in the paint and the other four prevent the opponents from taking open shots.  Simple as that.  The Magic would love to see more of the defensive intensity from Howard on the offensive side, but they have had success as it stands now.  Why change it?

Most Improved – Aaron Brooks Houston Rockets
19.6 PPG 2.6 RPG 5.3 APG

The Rockets were contenders for most of the regular season and it wasn’t because of Luis Scola or Trevor Ariza.  It was all Aaron Brooks.  He was the big reason why the Rockets took the defending champion Lakers to 7 games in the Western Conference Semifinals last year.  Brooks is a mismatch for most teams and his speed on the pick and roll is second to none.  Houston was thought of being in the cellar without Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady this year, but Brooks kept them competitive and Head Coach Rick Adelman was preaching defense all year long.  It worked until the wear and tear of the regular season caught up with them.  With a return of Yao plus the addition of Kevin Martin at the trade deadline, the Rockets will be contenders again next year thanks to Brooks and his breakout year.