NBA Midseason Awards
MVP: Steve Nash Phoenix Suns
Sure, I was as stunned as everyone else by Kobe Bryant’s 81-point explosion and I really believe Allen Iverson is having one of the best years of his career but any knowledgeable basketball fan, writer or analyst who doesn’t believe that Steve Nash is once again the MVP of the league, doesn’t know squat about the sport or its nuances.
The only thing I can compare watching Nash orchestrate the Suns offense to is watching Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel, although I was clearly not around in those days no matter what my children think.
Nash’s heady play has kept the Suns among the elite teams in the league despite the absence of all-star forward, Amare Stoudemire and a roster overhaul that could have been featured on one of those reality makeover shows.
When it comes to making his teammates better – and getting his in the process – simply put, there is no one better than Nash.
Rookie of the Year: Chris Paul New Orleans/Oklahoma Hornets
The rookie point guard from Wake Forest is as polished as any young point guard to come into the league since Magic Johnson. Paul leads all rookies in scoring, assists, steals and minutes played while simultaneously leading the Hornets slowly back to respectability. I think Andrew Bogut is going to be a solid players for years and Knicks forward, Channing Frye, has been the most pleasant surprise of all rookies, but right now, Paul wins this award hands-down.
Coach of the Year: Mike D’Antoni Phoenix Suns
I know a lot of people think that Detroit Pistons head coach, Flip Saunders should win this award, but I don’t believe that any coach in the league has done as fine a job as D’Antoni. Not only did the Suns lose one of their top players in Amare Stoudemire, but they have also incorporated several new players without missing a beat. Of course, it helps when Steve Nash s your point guard.
Sixth Man of Year: Mo Williams Milwaukee Bucks
I believe this is the best sixth-man race in years. However, Williams has been slightly better than his counterparts across the league. The Bucks should be thanking their lucky stars for Williams’ contributions this year which include two buzzer-beating threes’ that have won games for the Bucks and a ton of heady play in the absences of chronically injured speedster, T.J. Ford.
Phoenix’s Eddie House, New Orleans’ Speedy Claxton and Denver’s Earl Boykins are my other top candidates, but unless Williams falters immensely down the stretch, he should win this award.
Defensive Player of Year: Andrei Kirilenko Utah Jazz
This is another tough call, but for me, I have to take Kirilenko. The lanky forward can do it all. Kirilenko’s quickness and ability to block and alter shots defensively is as good as any forward’s I’ve seen since Dennis Rodman left the league and started making appearances on reality television shows. I know Bruce Bowen is always one of the favorites for this award, but I think Kirilenko’s length and shot-blocking adds an extra dimension and makes him a little more diverse than Bowens who is certainly a good defender in his own right.
Had Marcus Camby not gotten hurt (once again) he could have possibly won this award with his outstanding play earlier this season.
Most Improved Player: Chris Bosh Toronto Raptors
It’s a shame that, only fans who live in Toronto or are diehard basketball junkies (like me) and have satellite television, get to see Bosh on a regular basis. The smooth lefty who was pretty good last year has taken his game to another level this year and should unequivocally make the all-star team this year. The reason I really think Bosh should get this award is because it’s not like Toronto has a lot of other offensive options they can go to which means that Bosh is getting the job done with more defensive attention than some of the other deserving candidates for this award.
Executive of the Year: Bryan Colangelo Phoenix Suns
I’ve got to give it to Bryan Colangelo. Even after the Suns came from out of nowhere last year to post an impressive 62 wins and an appearance in the western conference finals, Colangelo knew his team needed to get bigger and better defensively if they were ever going to beat the likes of Tim Duncan and the Spurs. He went out and acquired several talented veterans who are making all of his off-season moves look like a stroke of genius. Once again however, it helps when Steve Nash is running your team and helping all of his newly acquired teammates to career years.
