NBA First Half Awards
By Teddy Covers
I know, it should be called my ‘First 2/3 awards’, since every team in the league has played at least 54 of their 82 scheduled games heading into the All Star break. But the ‘first half’ moniker seems to roll off the tongue a lot better than ‘first two thirds’, so I’ll stick with the conventional approach in that regard.
My rules are simple – a player can get mentioned in only one category. And I list three choices for each spot, ranked in order. I’m well aware that my picks don’t reflect the national media’s opinions, but the national media doesn’t bet for a living. What I’m most interested here is the players (and coaches) that affect pointspread results.
2011 First Half MVP:
1) Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
Two stats tell the story here. Nowitzki’s ‘plus /minus differential’ is the best in the league. The Mavs are +12 points per 48 minutes with Dirk on the floor; -10.1 points per 48 minutes without Dirk on the floor. Secondly, Dallas went 2-7 SU without Nowitzki the lineup when he was hurt last month. With Dirk, Dallas is 38-9. No player has meant more to a winning team than Dirk has this season – period.
2) Derrick Rose, Chicago
25 points per game, along with 8.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds and a steal. But it’s not about stats with Rose – it’s about heart and clutch shooting from the best player in the league at creating opportunities for himself and his teammates off the dribble.
3) LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland
Brandon Roy has been hurt all year. Marcus Camby and Greg Oden are hurt as well. Andre Miller is well past his prime. Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum are not going to lead a Western Conference team to the playoffs. And yet here are the Blazers sitting in the #5 seed in the West, thanks to Aldridge absolutely dominating the low post against just about every team that he’s faced for the past three months.
Coach of the Year:
1) Doug Collins, Philadelphia
The Sixers were lined as a 34 win team heading into the season, a seven game improvement over their 27-55 record from last year. But since their 3-13 SU start to the season, Collins has guided Philly to a 24-16 SU record in the 76ers last 40 ballgames, with exactly the same cast of characters as they had last year. Now that’s good coaching!
2) Lionel Hollins, Memphis
On a team loaded with players with bad reputations, big egos and lousy attitudes, Hollins has gotten his team to buy into the two keys to winning in the NBA: defense and selfless play. Like Collins above, the pointspread results tell the true story – Philly and Memphis are the only two teams in the NBA with 35 ATS covers by the All Star break.
3) Tom Thibodeau, Chicago
No Carlos Boozer, no problem. No Joakim Noah, no problem. Constant trade talk distraction, no problem. Long ‘circus’ road trip, no problem. Chicago ranks in the Top 5 in the NBA in rebounding margin, total defense and ATS success, making a dramatic leap forward – despite all the injuries – in Thibodeau’s first year on the job.
Rookie of the Year:
1) Blake Griffin, LA Clippers
This one is a no-brainer. Any Rookie of the Year ballot that doesn’t have Griffin’s name as #1 comes from a biased voter or a complete clown. Griffin is an absolute monster on both ends of the court, by far the league’s best newcomer.
2) DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento
Despite a handful of off-court incidents that have sullied Cousins’ reputation, on the floor, the kid is capable of dominating on both ends. I’ve been particularly impressed with his offensive rebounding acumen and his soft shooting touch around the basket.
3) John Wall, Washington
It’s relatively easy to put up huge numbers on a bottom feeder team when you’re in charge of distributing the basketball – ask Damon Stoudamire how his career worked out. Wall is as quick as anyone in the league, and he’s put up some stellar numbers, but he’s not in my top two choices.
Defensive Player of the Year:
1) Dwight Howard Orlando
The key here are the guys that Howard has surrounding him. There’s not an above average defensive player in the starting lineup besides Howard, yet the Magic rank in the Top 5 in both points allowed and defensive field goal percentage allowed. That puts Howard in line for his third straight Defensive POY award.
2) Tyson Chandler, Dallas
I gave Dirk the MVP, and I’m ranking Chandler #2 on my ‘Defensive POY’ charts. This award is not about stats, it’s about presence. Nobody is scoring on Dallas in the paint these days, and Chandler has been an absolute beast in the low post defensively all season long.
3) Chris Paul, New Orleans
No point guard in the league is playing better defense than Paul this year, the key reason why the Hornets have allowed fewer points per game than any other Western Conference team. Paul leads the NBA in steals; only Rajon Rondo is close.
Sixth Man of the Year:
1) Serge Ibaka, Oklahoma City
The Thunder start Nenad Krstic at center and undersized Jeff Green at power forward, leaving Ibaka to come off the bench and dominate the low post. He shoots at a high percentage, blocks shots galore and brings an athletic, physical presence that the Thunder desperately need in the paint.
2) Jason Terry, Dallas
Terry is the obvious choice here, providing instant offense off the bench for Rick Carlisle and company for an elite team on a nightly basis. You could make a legitimate case that Terry is the best shooting guard in the NBA this side of Kobe and Dwayne Wade!
3) Jamal Crawford, Atlanta
Last year’s winner hasn’t declined one iota, still bringing enormous firepower coming off the bench. He’s quite capable at the point guard role and the shooting guard role, a versatile and under-rated scorer and distributor.
Most Improved Player:
1) Kevin Love, Minnesota
I expected Love to be a solid pro, but I never expected him to be the best rebounder in the NBA in just his third year in the league. Love averaged 14 points and 11 boards last year. This year, with a stronger supporting cast around him, he’s improved to 21.1 points, 15.5 rebounds and his first, well deserved, All Star appearance.
2) Ray Felton, New York (Denver)
Obviously, Mike D’Antoni’s system helps turn point guards into superstars. Steve Nash wasn’t a household name when he arrived in Phoenix to play for D’Antoni, but it didn’t take long before Nash was at the ‘superstar’ level. We saw the same transition from Felton; a major disappointment in four seasons at Charlotte before averaging career highs in points, assists and steals in his first season in New York. The trade to the Nuggets on Monday doesn’t take away from Felton’s first half accomplishments.
3) Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City
Every stat is better for the third year point guard out of UCLA: shooting percentage, three point percentage, free throw attempts and percentage, scoring, assists, steals, rebounds, fourth quarter points – you name it! Westbrook’s summer with Team USA has clearly upped his confidence and his game a good notch or two.