- Rookie of the Year- Derrick Rose, Chicago PG - 17 points, 6 dimes, 4 boards a game and the single catalyst for Chicago's minor resurgence into the playoffs once again.... He is possibly the quickest player in the league and electrifying to watch off the dribble...and never hit that rookie wall....I'm excited for the potential of a Paul/Williams/Rose battle for the 2 spots on the 2012 olympic team lol....Runners-up: Brook Lopez (13 ppg, 8 rpg, 1.8 bpg), OJ Mayo (18, 4, 3), Eric Gordon (16 ppg and the lone Clipper bright spot), Russell Westbrook (was as hot as anyone in the middle third of the year, and the best defender of them all)
- Most Improved Player- Danny Granger, Indiana SF - He made "the leap" more than any other this year...and those are the guys I generally reference for this award.... 25.7 ppg (up from 19.6), 5 boards, 3 dimes, 1.0 steals, and 1.4 blocks per....Impressive line for really the only brightspot for the Pacers this year...he became a legit all-star and a top 7-8 scorer in this league....He was already a star....but now he's legit..... Runners-up: Rajon Rondo (8 assists per, stifling D), Devin Harris (2nd biggest "leap" guy), Tony Parker (showed he can carry the load with multiple 40 point efforts), little Nate Robinson (5 ppg higher in the same number of minutes, go-to guy all year)
- 6th Man of the Year- Jason Terry, Dallas Guard- This is probably the easiest of them all....he was the best player on that team for a good stint this year (apologies to Dirk) and clearly their go-to-guy late in games....almost 20 ppg off the bench is nothing to sneeze at and with Manu out of the running with an injury...this one is a slam dunk..... Runners-up: Nate Robinson (aforementioned 17 ppg and go-to status), Flip Murray (the solitary reason Atlanta has home-court in a series when no one on the roster, save Al Horford was better this year than last)
- Coach of the Year- Gregg Popovich, San Antonio- You're thinking..."huh?"...hear me out....Quickly...take Manu out of the equation with multiple injuries causing him to play only 44 games and average under 28 minutes per...who's the 3rd option on the Spurs? Answer: Roger Mason....Again....How many games did "Best PF ever" Tim Duncan play in? 74...and that doesn't include games he was rested significantly in....Basically...that roster is nowhere near being worthy of the 53 wins they currently have...and yes, I know Duncan is the greatest winner of this era, and I know Tony Parker took a step forward....but just because Pop is openly regarded as the best coach in the league (save Phil Jackson maybe) doesn't mean he can't be considered for this award based upon what he's faced this year.....He gets the nod.... Runners-up: Stan Van Gundy (awesome job especially considering Nelson's injury exit), Nate McMillan (has them in contention without a single veteran in the rotation), Rick Adelman (great coaching job without McGrady finding the points elsewhere, credit to Darryl Morey too)
- Defensive POY- Dwight Howard, C Orlando- This is the hardest category every year...so I'll take the guy who basically makes up for the deficiencies of his entire wing cast and the league leader in blocks.... He's dominant in a league without dominant centers and deserving of this..... Runners-up: Chris Andersen (2.5 blocks per in only 20 minutes), Chris Paul (the best ball skills, and great in the passing lanes), Rajon Rondo (the premier on ball-defender, sooooo long), Tyrus Thomas (great on the backside, and long)
- MVP- Lebron James, Cleveland- I've been swayed....and not by the coverage but by my own eyes, and my own research.... he's clearly the best player in the game today, it's not a debate anymore to me... the reason? The jump in his defensive effort and the way he's elevated his team....the credit is being given to Mike Brown...but honestly, Mike Brown is strategically overmatched in pretty much every matchup...and Lebron just takes it over...correspond that with his rise in FT% and slight jump shot improvement....I'll take him.... Runners-up: Dwyane Wade (My clear 2nd place....single handedly carried them to the 5 seed with a cast of guys who pretty much have no business being there while leading the league in scoring), Dwight Howard (Reasons above), Chris Paul (the only, ONLY reason they are in playoff contention, and clearly the best point guard in the league), Kobe Bryant (obligatory, he's been himself all year...and without Bynum, they didn't miss a beat)
Well there you have it...just one man's opinion lol
1 comment:
Lebron James is CLEARLY the best player in the league??? i disagree..you can deffinately make a case for that but to say he is clearly the best is a little strong! I'm taking Dwayne Wade this year if you want to talk about carrying a team..Atleast Lebron has another all-star on his team!
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