This is one of the toughest and tightest award races I have ever seen in the NBA. Everyone knows that the MVP race has become a "who do you like best" contest between Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade (and that takes out Dwight Howard who has transformed the Magic team into a contender). But what people may not have noticed is the amount of contenders for the other NBA awards.
I will start with the Rookie of the Year. On draft day the question was Rose or Beasley, that is not the case now, it appears the Bulls made the right pick and Beasley is no where near the Rookie of the Year talk. That withstanding Rose is not alone in Rookies in the league who are producing at a very high level. With him are players like Russell Westbrook (16 pts, 5 ast), Brooke Lopez (13/8/2 blocks on 53% shooting), OJ Mayo (18 points, 3 Ast), and Eric Gordon (16 PPG). With all due respect to the other rookies, all of which have well exceeded expectations I award
Rookie of the Year to
DERRICK ROSE. He is on a different level as the other players, and I think that as soon as next season will be an all-star performer in the league. The player that I think has slid under the radar the most is Brooke Lopez. He has improved every month and has won Rookie of the Month the past two months and has become a double-double machine and is controlling the paint in New Jersey.
Now to 6th m
an of the year. This is a 3 man race. Jason Terry (19.6 PPG), Corey Maggette (19.9 PPG) and everyone's favorite Nate Robinson (18 PPG). This is insanely tough, as all 3 have been the go-to guy down the stretch of games for their teams. All 3 teams have been up and down, and the Knicks and Warriors have had roster transitions throughout the season. I am awarding the
6th Man of the Year to
JASON TERRY. He has led the Mavericks in big games and the Mavericks enter the day in the playoffs in the Western Conference.
To me the
Defensive Player of the Year is probably the only easy selection. As much as people want to love the likes of Kobe, Dwayne, and Lebron here,
Dwight Howard is now one of a kind. He patrols the paint offensively, and defensively like no one has done in what is almost a decade now since Shaq's dominance. Dwight controls the glass and knocks shots into the stands on a nightly basis. This one is an easy one, and I am pretty sure on this one that the voters will actually agree with me (unlike the other awards).
Remember a couple years ago in the NBA Playoffs when a little known guard without a position (not a PG, not a SG) was giving people fits cause no one could guard him. That player was
Devin Harris, and he was shortly after traded for Jason Kidd (big mistake). He is still a player that most teams don't have anyone who can come close to cover. He is an excellent finisher, so if you put a quick guard on him he will use his size and athleticism to finish over them in the paint, and if you put a bigger defender on him he can shoot open Jumpers all day because they have to lay off, and if they get close he blows by them. Devin is averaging 22 points and 7 assists. He is going to be a perennial all star in the future. This is why he is an easy choice for
Most Improved Player. Other players in the conversation include Danny Granger, and Kevin Durant.
The
MVP Race to me is easy. To many of the national media it seems not so much. As good as Dwyane Wade has been, and as strong as the Lakers and Kobe Bryant have been,
NO ONE HAS TOUCHED THE LEVEL OF LEBRON. James' Cavs are going into the playoffs as the overall #1 seed, and have lost 1 game at Home all season. Some will focus on the fact that the one team to beat Cleveland this season is Kobe's Lakers. I will look at the whole season, and realize that there never has been a player like Lebron James. He is a team player, who could drop 40 every night, but knows that is not what makes his team it's best. He will find the open man, run the offense, and if need be take the game over. He is a freight train coming down the lane at full speed and it has got to the point where people just get out the way. Haters out there will tell you he can't shoot, no where near as good as D Wade or Kobe. Take a look at the numbers, Lebron shoots the highest FG% and shoot's 6% better from 3 than Wade, and only 1% lower than Kobe Bryant. This is Lebron's year, and may prove to be his league for the next decade. He has company (Dwight, Dwayne, Kobe, CP3, Deron Williams) but make no doubt it is Lebron's NBA world. Cleveland will bring home the title this season and next, and that will make the summer of 2010 either really exciting, or really over-hyped (if he resigns in CLE).
I will start with the Rookie of the Year. On draft day the question was Rose or Beasley, that is not the case now, it appears the Bulls made the right pick and Beasley is no where near the Rookie of the Year talk. That withstanding Rose is not alone in Rookies in the league who are producing at a very high level. With him are players like Russell Westbrook (16 pts, 5 ast), Brooke Lopez (13/8/2 blocks on 53% shooting), OJ Mayo (18 points, 3 Ast), and Eric Gordon (16 PPG). With all due respect to the other rookies, all of which have well exceeded expectations I award Rookie of the Year to DERRICK ROSE. He is on a different level as the other players, and I think that as soon as next season will be an all-star performer in the league. The player that I think has slid under the radar the most is Brooke Lopez. He has improved every month and has won Rookie of the Month the past two months and has become a double-double machine and is controlling the paint in New Jersey.
Now to 6th man of the year. This is a 3 man race. Jason Terry (19.6 PPG), Corey Maggette (19.9 PPG) and everyone's favorite Nate Robinson (18 PPG). This is insanely tough, as all 3 have been the go-to guy down the stretch of games for their teams. All 3 teams have been up and down, and the Knicks and Warriors have had roster transitions throughout the season. I am awarding the 6th Man of the Year to JASON TERRY. He has led the Mavericks in big games and the Mavericks enter the day in the playoffs in the Western Conference.
To me the Defensive Player of the Year is probably the only easy selection. As much as people want to love the likes of Kobe, Dwayne, and Lebron here, Dwight Howard is now one of a kind. He patrols the paint offensively, and defensively like no one has done in what is almost a decade now since Shaq's dominance. Dwight controls the glass and knocks shots into the stands on a nightly basis. This one is an easy one, and I am pretty sure on this one that the voters will actually agree with me (unlike the other awards).
Remember a couple years ago in the NBA Playoffs when a little known guard without a position (not a PG, not a SG) was giving people fits cause no one could guard him. That player was Devin Harris, and he was shortly after traded for Jason Kidd (big mistake). He is still a player that most teams don't have anyone who can come close to cover. He is an excellent finisher, so if you put a quick guard on him he will use his size and athleticism to finish over them in the paint, and if you put a bigger defender on him he can shoot open Jumpers all day because they have to lay off, and if they get close he blows by them. Devin is averaging 22 points and 7 assists. He is going to be a perennial all star in the future. This is why he is an easy choice for Most Improved Player. Other players in the conversation include Danny Granger, and Kevin Durant.
The MVP Race to me is easy. To many of the national media it seems not so much. As good as Dwyane Wade has been, and as strong as the Lakers and Kobe Bryant have been, NO ONE HAS TOUCHED THE LEVEL OF LEBRON. James' Cavs are going into the playoffs as the overall #1 seed, and have lost 1 game at Home all season. Some will focus on the fact that the one team to beat Cleveland this season is Kobe's Lakers. I will look at the whole season, and realize that there never has been a player like Lebron James. He is a team player, who could drop 40 every night, but knows that is not what makes his team it's best. He will find the open man, run the offense, and if need be take the game over. He is a freight train coming down the lane at full speed and it has got to the point where people just get out the way. Haters out there will tell you he can't shoot, no where near as good as D Wade or Kobe. Take a look at the numbers, Lebron shoots the highest FG% and shoot's 6% better from 3 than Wade, and only 1% lower than Kobe Bryant. This is Lebron's year, and may prove to be his league for the next decade. He has company (Dwight, Dwayne, Kobe, CP3, Deron Williams) but make no doubt it is Lebron's NBA world. Cleveland will bring home the title this season and next, and that will make the summer of 2010 either really exciting, or really over-hyped (if he resigns in CLE).
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