As the All Star break nears, we can get excited to see the fan favorites take the court. Or in more accurate terms, we can watch the players from the largest markets play together in one game. Eight out of the ten starters are from only three cities: Los Angeles (Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard), Miami (LeBron James and Dwyane Wade), and Boston (Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo). Let's just say it is not bad that few people place much consideration of a players legacy on All Star appearances.
Here are our updated mid-season predictions on who will take home the hardware for individual accomplishments. (Note: statistics are as of 1/22/12.)
Here are our updated mid-season predictions on who will take home the hardware for individual accomplishments. (Note: statistics are as of 1/22/12.)
Coach of the Year
Mark Jackson, Golden
State Warriors
The former ESPN analyst did not have the confidence of his
players immediately. But after a complete offseason with the Warriors, it is
readily apparent that he has tremendously influenced the culture of a team
previously run by a me-first guard in Monta Ellis. Jackson has established accountability
among the players while not patronizing them; he attributes this mentality
to the problems he saw with coaches when he was a point guard in the NBA.
While Mike Woodson and others have worthy resumes for the award this year,
Jackson stands out among all of them, with wins against Miami and Oklahoma City to bolster his resume. Contrast the Warriors and teams where
stars are plentiful and it’s obvious that what he has accomplished is very
impressive. Combine that with the fact that this is his very first coaching stint and all signs point to M-Jack being a great coach for years to come.
Defensive Player of
the Year
Joakim Noah, Chicago
Bulls
Noah has led his team on defense and provided stability with
the absence of Derrick Rose. The Bulls have a top-five
defense in the NBA and it centers (pun intended) around the big man’s 11
rebounds, two blocks, and (more than) a steal per game. A player like Noah may
not be the greatest scorer—and he’s only shooting 45 percent from the field—but
what he brings on defense is something that has helped the Bulls win 60 percent
of their games thus far. And while Kevin Garnett is a consideration for this
award, the fact that KG plays less than 30 minutes per game drops him at least
a spot in the DPOY pecking order.
Most Improved Player
of the Year
Jrue Holiday,
Philadelphia 76ers
There are a host of players worth mentioning here but two in
particular stand out: Jrue Holiday and Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats. Up
until Kemba’s stellar play this season, you could only count on Michael
Jordan’s Bobcats for one thing: a high NBA pick in the draft. But what the former
North Carolina Tar Heel has done for a team that hasn't even won a quarter of
its games this year is impressive, particularly in light of their perennial
struggles. But the singular improvement of the 76ers point guard is remarkable.
His defense has marginally improved (almost a rebound more per game than
2011-12) but what he brings to the court offensively now is pivotal to the
Sixers success. His assists per game have doubled
(4.5 to 9.0) and his PPG has increased from 13.5 to 19.0…all while shooting
over 45 percent from the field as a point guard.
Sixth Man of the Year
Jarrett Jack, Golden
State Warriors
This offseason pick up has proven to be the best move for
the Warriors thus far. While Andrew Bogut sits in a suit on the sideline, Jack
is out draining dagger threes, finding teammates for game-winning shots, and
providing an energy off the bench that has given his team a second wind. His
per game stats are an indicator of the influence he has had (13 PPG / 6 APG / 3
RPG / 48% on FGs / 87% on FTs) but a look at some of the individual efforts
he has had in games show that he is invaluable to this team. Case in point: in
the last month of basketball he has had four games with over 10 assists and eight
games with over 15 points—including two games with 28 and 29.
Rookie of the Year
Damian Lillard,
Portland Trailblazers
To lead a team into Western conference relevance is impressive
for any player…but for a rookie to do it is something special. While there is
no doubt that the Trailblazers have pieces around Lillard (like MIP candidate
J.J. Hickson), his team is significantly out-performing even Kyrie Irving’s
Cleveland Cavaliers in Irving’s second year in the league. Another comparison
would be to Wizards point guard John Wall, who came out of college with high
expectations but could not turn around a terrible team and whose frustration
has affected his performance. Lillard is well on his way to becoming one of the
best scoring point guards in the NBA.
Most Valuable Player
LeBron James, Miami
Heat
This is the only pick that has remained constant since my
preseason predictions but it is much closer than I expected. The offensive monster that is Kevin Durant has made this
a more competitive race especially in light of James Harden’s departure. While Durant
is worthy, he has Russell Westbrook and a host of other skilled defensive
players to lean on—namely Serge I’ll-Block-Ya. LeBron has again proved that he can win
with teammates underperforming. Erik Spoelstra’s decision to bench Wade and
Bosh in the fourth quarter of a game gives a glimpse into how even LeBron’s
most reliable teammates have been struggling. Miami is last in the league in
rebounding despite LeBron’s 8.1 rebounds per game. Also, surprisingly the Eastern
conference Heat have a nearly identically difficult schedule this season as the Western conference Thunder. It is
very tempting to say that Kevin Durant and his 50-40-90 shooting is worthy of
the honors; however, it comes down to the fact that LeBron is playing better than
ever with often less than capable surrounding players.