NICK'S PREDICTIONS
Most Valuable Player:
Hands down, Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets! The third year point guard has only continued to get better and with his performance this year he garners the MVP. CP3 led his team in scoring, the league in assists and steals, and was the conductor of the New Orleans Hornets' 56-26 season after a 38-44 regular season record the year before. Furthermore, Paul's averages of 21.1 points, 11.6 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 steals, and just 2.5 turnovers per game combined as a whole season's body of work is by far the most complete by any player in the league.
Rookie of the Year:
The Rookie of the Year Award should go to Kevin Durant of the Seattle Supersonics. The Sonics may not be in Seattle next year, but what they will have is a franchise scorer to build around wherever the team does call home. Durant's average scoring night consisted of 20.3 points per game with a 43% FG mark on a team with no other consistent scoring option which is a testament to what this young man can do individually against the world's greatest basketball talent. He grabbed 4.4 rebounds per game (which I don't think anyone thought a man as slender as he could) and Durant also scored a career-high 42 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in his final rookie season game to leave us all waiting and wondering just how good this young star is going to be in years to come.
Sixth Man of the Year:
J.R. Smith of the Denver Nuggets is not only the Sixth Man of the Year, but may also be the most exciting and explosive player to have not started a single game for their franchise this season. Smith recorded 13 games of scoring more than 20 points (most by any player in the NBA without a start) and a career-high of 43 points this season. J.R. posted a scoring average is 12.3 points in just 19.2 minutes and Smith shot above 40% (40.03% to be exact) from downtown for the first time in his career while taking the most three-point attempts of his career with 390.
Most Improved Player:
The Most Improved Player, in my book, is Hedo Turkoglu of the Orlando Magic. With a career averages of 11.7 points, 2.5 assists, and 4.1 rebounds, this season's jump to career-highs in points at 19.5, rebounds at 5.7, and assists at five per game, while also taking on a leadership role with the Magic, raised Hedo's game to the next level. No other player made as dramatic of a jump from quiet role player to reliable second scoring option not to mention doing so on the Eastern Conference's third seed in the playoffs.
Defensive Player of the Year:
Marcus Camby defended his DPOY from last year. If you are the only player the league in the top three in blocks, rebounds, and steals, you have successfully defended your title! Marcus Camby did just that with the top overall league average in swats at 3.6 blocks per game, the second best rebounding clip in the league at 13.1 rebounds per game, and the second highest steal average of any center in the league at 1.06 steals a game.
Coach of the Year:
Byron Scott. Great 18-game win turnaround for a team that earned the 2nd overall seed in the tightest Western Conference playoff race in years after a 38-44 season the year before. Scott coached the most out of his player and has a proven track record of tangible success.
All-NBA First Team
- Chris Paul
- Kobe Bryant
- LeBron James
- Amare Stoudemire
- Dwight Howard
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