By now, most NBA teams have surpassed the 41-game benchmark, the halfway point of the grueling NBA regular season. With All-Star festivities in Denver coming up next weekend, coaches and players alike are lobbying hard for All-Star reserve spots and chances to compete in popular events such as the slam dunk competition and the three-point shootout. More importantly, however, the halfway point represents a chance to reflect upon the state of the league, its players and teams. With that in mind, the following are some of my picks for the end of the year awards.
MVP: Right now, Phoenix’s Steve Nash is the popular pick, due in no small part to the Suns’ incredible improvement from last season’s dismal 29-53 train wreck. As their only major off-season acquisition, Nash has guided the red hot Suns to an astounding 38-11 midseason record with his league-leading 11 assists per game. Though he has durability issues and is not even close to being a good defensive player, the MVP race is always determined by a combination of statistical excellence and team performance-Nash has both.
Defensive Player of the Year: Provided he stays healthy for the rest of the season, Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko is my pick. In an injury-plagued half season, Kirilenko is leading the league in blocks per game with 3.86 despite playing just 32 minutes a game. Most importantly, however, Utah is a good defensive team with him and a really poor one without him. That, and the fact that he reminds me of Ivan Drago from Rocky IV, is reason enough for him to win Defensive Player of the Year.
Most Improved Player: This is an interesting year for the most improved race, as most of the primary candidates are players who were already terrific last season (LeBron James) or whose massive statistical leaps can be attributed to the addition of an MVP caliber teammate (Steve Nash for Amare Stoudemire in Phoenix or Shaquille O’Neal for Dwyane Wade in Miami). Because of these discrepancies in the race, my pick goes to someone who is not a superstar, the underrated Bobby Simmons of the Los Angeles Clippers. In his first three seasons, Simmons was a 15-minute and five points-per-game bit player on the mediocre Wizards and Clippers teams. But this season, Simmons has more than doubled his minutes per game to 38 and is scoring three times as many points per game (16.5) than his career average. Simmons has the surprising Clippers poised to sneak into the playoffs as a possible 8th seed by playing inspired defense and adding great toughness to a young Los Angeles squad.
Rookie of the Year: Even though Emeka Okafor is the clear favorite, I have to go with 19-year-old Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, just because if he were in college right now instead of the NBA, Dick Vitale would probably be calling this player a “diaper-dandy.”
6th Man: Is it possible to win 6th Man of the Year but not even be in contention for Rookie of the Year? Ben Gordon of Chicago has been a revelation off the bench and a major factor in Chicago’s unlikely position among the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Providing lights-out shooting from the perimeter and the ability to drive into the paint and unleash a devastating tear drop floater, Gordon is instant offense off the bench. Most importantly, he is on the floor at the end of close games, already having hit multiple go-ahead or game winning shots this season.