http://sportstwo.com/NBA/Story/NBA/2053006 NBA awards doled out in season's final week Tuesday, April 15, 2008 09:53 AM By Anthony Olivieri PA SportsTicker Pro Basketball Editor With the final week of the regular season upon us, here's a look at who should take home the hardware when the NBA hands out its annual awards. MOST VALUABLE PLAYER CHRIS PAUL - NEW ORLEANS HORNETS In one of the tightest MVP races in recent memory, Paul has a few things going for him, including the Hornets' shocking 55-25 record and position in second place in one of the most competitive conferences of all-time. While Paul did not have the best season - despite what people tell you that honor belongs to LeBron James - he did have the biggest impact on the league. He most likely saved basketball in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, has his team in line for one of the top two seeds in the West and took over the mantle from Steve Nash as the game's best point guard. In a league which increasingly rewards smaller, quicker teams, a floor general is the key player on any team. And Paul - a prototypical leader and competitor - for one season has played it better than anyone perhaps in the history of the game. But despite being the NBA's leader in assists (11.6) and steals (2.7), Paul barely edged out his talented counterparts. James, for his part, could join Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan as the only players to average at least 30.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists in a season. It's not his fault he carries around the worst set of teammates of any MVP candidate. Kobe Bryant, who most likely will win the award, has had a fabulous season. But the Los Angeles Lakers' guard shouldn't be given the award because he's never won it or because he's allowed his all-around game to flourish like never before. Paul and James have been been all-around performers and good teammates since they entered the league; Bryant shouldn't be rewarded for finally having the sense to right selfish wrongs in the past. Both Paul and Bryant - leaders of the top two teams in the West - have played outstanding. But I can't escape the fact that Paul was the one who not only played statistically better but legitimately dominated the league for most of the season. Midseason pick: James COACH OF THE YEAR BYRON SCOTT - NEW ORLEANS HORNETS I'm going to be a little bit of a hypocrite here, just so you know that up front. As much as I don't want to give Bryant a career achievement award, I think Scott deserves one. After getting unfairly booted out of New Jersey after leading the team to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances, Scott has lifted the Hornets into the stratosphere of Finals contenders in the tough West. Scott is hard-driving coach who has gotten the most out of his roster in New Orleans, and it's been a tough job. He has had a hand in resurrecting the careers of Tyson Chandler, injury-riddled Peja Stojakovic and Morris Peterson. Seriously, who thought this team would be this good this fast - even with Paul playing at this level? And consider Scott's competition. He has his team atop a conference which boasts such coaching stalwarts as Gregg Popovich, Mike D'Antoni, Don Nelson, Jerry Sloan, Phil Jackson and Rick Adelman. While all those guys also are candidates for the award, Doc Rivers of the Boston Celtics should not join that group. The addition of All-Stars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen gave Rivers a powerhouse club with three stars who already were self-motivated to win their first title. Some more deserving candidates are: Nate McMillan of the Portland Trail Blazers, Reggie Theus of the Sacramento Kings and Maurice Cheeks of the Philadelphia 76ers. Midseason pick: McMillan ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AL HORFORD - ATLANTA HAWKS The best rookie this season - and in most campaigns - is the one who doesn't look like he's in his first year. Horford has not had any visible growing pains, while Kevin Durant of the Seattle SuperSonics certainly has struggled a bit despite gaudy numbers. I know, the Hawks squeaked into the playoffs with a sub-500 record, but I still have to give some credit to the tough Horford, who buoyed them to that spot with his play on the interior. A two-time champion in college at Florida, Horford made a seamless transition to the pro ranks, averaging 10.2 points and 9.6 rebounds entering Tuesday's play. But he has been even bigger than that. The rookie leader in double-doubles, Horford has been a consistent force on the inside for Atlanta. He doesn't look out of place banging bodies with chiseled NBA veterans - the biggest adjustment for big men coming out of college. He has proven that he can score with his back to the basket but, on a team with a multitude of perimeter threats, he knows his role as an offensive rebounder and opportunistic scorer. The biggest reason for the ascent of my level of respect for Horford - you can count on him in big games to be efficient and smart, as he proved during Atlanta's stretch drive to playoffs. That doesn't sound like a first-year player to me. So, Horford has been the most consistent rookie, eclipsing the promising Durant, who has a rail thin body and is not close to fulfilling his full potential. That's not a surprise, seeing as though Durant's potential has no ceiling. But it's hard to give the award to someone who is 6-9 - with the wingspan of a 7-footer - and has yet to pull down 10 rebounds in a game, leaving him without a double-double entering Tuesday's play. While his scoring average (20.0 points per game) is impressive, Durant has averaged just 4.2 rebounds, shoots 29 percent from the arc and hands out just 2.4 assists compared to 2.9 turnovers per game. Luis Scola, for his part in the Houston Rockets' remarkable winning streak, should finish third. Midseason pick: Durant DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR KEVIN GARNETT - BOSTON CELTICS This is somewhat like baseball's Gold Glove - although only given to one player in the league - because it is handed out on reputation rather than current resume. The same names are thrown around each season, including San Antonio Spurs guard Bruce Bowen, Denver Nuggets center Marcus Camby, Kings forward Ron Artest and Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko. While all still are solid on the defensive end, none have transformed their team like Garnett, who is as manic defensively during training camp as he will be in the playoffs. And that's what he brings to the Celtics - attitude, intensity, will and skill. Traits which usually define the best offensive player (let's face it, most players expend their energy on the offensive end of the floor). If you need more tangible evidence, here you go. Last season, Boston allowed teams to score near 100.0 points per game and ranked 24th in field-goal percentage defense. This campaign, the Celtics are the top team in field-goal percentage defense and rank barely behind the Detroit Pistons (90.1), allowing opponents to score just 90.2 points per game - second fewest in the NBA. True, Boston has had other additions in the offseason other than Garnett. But if you think Ray Allen and his surgically repaired ankle is the defensive catalyst in Beantown, you just haven't paid attention. Midseason pick: Camby SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR MANU GINOBILI - SAN ANTONIO SPURS This award was created for Ginobili, who is a starter playing a bench role. But he is not just a run-of-the-mill player taking a backseat to more talented teammates. Ginobili deserves to be on the MVP ballot. He held the Spurs together while they battled through the midseason doldrums and remained one of the top teams in the ultra-competitive West. But Ginobili's willingness to come off the bench - a ego hit for most NBA superstars - shouldn't be overlooked. And make no mistake about it, Ginobili is a true superstar, an NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist. More simply, he's a winner. And that's how to define the Sixth Man of Year - the player who comes off the bench and gives his team what it needs to win games. For the Spurs, that was scoring in bunches, and Ginobili sure can do that. However, I would be shortsided if I didn't admit that his competition for the award was less than stellar. Leandro Barbosa of the Phoenix Suns and Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors deserve consideration if it weren't for two problems. Barbosa has taken a step back this season - his supposed breakout campaign - and Calderon spent much of the season starting in the absence of T.J. Ford. Midseason pick: Ginobili MOST IMPROVED PLAYER HEDO TURKOGLU - ORLANDO MAGIC This was probably the hardest award to figure aside from MVP. There were a myriad of candidates, including Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who had his season interrupted by an unfortunate knee injury. The rest of the candidates are an unlikely cast of characters: Indiana Pacers forward Mike Dunleavy Jr., Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge and Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay. Gay made a huge leap statistically, but one is left to wonder whether that is because of his dismal teammates. Aldridge slowed down a bit at the end of the season - just like his team - and Dunleavy's club fell just short of the playoffs. Yes, I know, the MIP is someone who picks himself off the deck individually and turns his label from good to very good. But this season - a la the MVP - team success played an integral role in my choice. Turkoglu not only raised his scoring average from 13.3 points to 19.7 but he has become the Magic's go-to scorer - creeping into the top five in fourth-quarter scoring. And it's worked out quite well for Orlando, which notched a 50-win season and the No. 3 seed in the East. Even more incredibly, the Magic have an impressive roster with other capable scoring options, including All-NBA-caliber center Dwight Howard and multi-million dollar offseason acquisition Rashard Lewis. But when that clock is ticking down for Orlando, everyone looks for Turkoglu. Just a season ago, he was nothing more than a spot-up shooter - now, that's an improvement. Midseason pick: Chris Kaman
Not a bad bunch of selections. Doc Rivers may deserve more credit than he's given, tho people may be remembering how good he was last year without his superstar roster. Who's this Byron Scott guy, and where did he come from? (That's a rhetorical question!)
