[Writer's Central] CelticBalla32's 2007-2007 NBA Award Selections

Discussion in 'NBA General' started by CelticBalla32, Apr 17, 2008.

  1. CelticBalla32

    CelticBalla32 Basketball is back in Boston

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    Article title: CelticBalla32's 2007-2007 NBA Award Selections
    Article description: By: Dustin Chapman
    Category: National Basketball Association
    Date added: Apr 17 2008, 04:07 PM
    Article starter: CelticBalla32

    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>[​IMG] Surprise of the Year: Parity of the Western Conference
    For years, the superiority of the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference has been undeniable. In fact, many have joked that the East is the “JV league” of the NBA. Each year, everybody expects the West to be light-years above the East, but the density of the Western Conference this season has been mind-boggling. It was to the point where you could have been the top seeded team in the conference, but a pair of losses would put you in lottery territory. Once again, everybody expected the West to be far superior to the East, but nobody in their right mind predicted the parity of the conference to be quite like this.


    [​IMG] Disappointment of the Year: Chicago Bulls
    A year ago, the Chicago Bulls were touted as one of the NBA’s up-and-coming teams that were on the brink of Eastern Conference contention. In last year’s playoffs, they swept the defending champion Miami Heat in the first round and gave Detroit a hard-fought semi-finals series before eventually losing in Game 6. Many people then felt that Chicago would make their mark this season and potentially even gain control of the East’s top seed (guilty as charged). Well, here we are at the end of the regular season and that couldn’t be further from the truth. Chicago did not come away with one of the top seeds in the conference, and instead ended up falling to three slots out of the playoffs… in the Eastern Conference. It’s one thing to miss the playoffs, but to miss the playoffs in this year’s Eastern Conference? The disappointment speaks for itself on that note alone. The entire attitude in Chicago has altered from promising to “let’s just get out of here so we can go home.” They’ve already undergone coaching and roster changes within the past few months. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next, because it is evident that the Chicago Bulls are in need of a major shake-up or two.


    [​IMG] Executive of the Year: Danny Ainge (BOS)
    Danny Ainge has had the Executive of the Year award locked up for months. The Kevin McHale jokes are now outdated, played out, and likely predicated off of mistaken sentiments. Regardless of your stance on that irrelevant matter, Danny Ainge produced the second-worst product in the NBA last season, and in just one summer has taken that massacre and constructed the NBA’s best team. Ainge began the summer of 2007 with Paul Pierce, two large contracts, a lottery pick, and a cast of unproven youngsters with “potential.” He entered training camp with three future Hall of Famers, the NBA’s top defensive teacher, and a supporting cast of established veterans. That group has manufactured the NBA’s greatest turnaround in league history, the almost-forgotten feeling of relevancy, and the resurrection of the most storied franchise the league has ever had. Nothing is guaranteed, but there is now light at the end of the tunnel, and Danny Ainge is the man that made it happen.


    [​IMG] Coach of the Year: Byron Scott (NO)
    Obviously, Chris Paul’s near-flawless year has had quite a bit to do with New Orleans’ success this season, but don’t sleep on the man who orchestrates the club. In a weaker Western Conference last season, New Orleans finished tenth with a sub-par 39-43 record. This season, they’ve secured the second-best record in the tightest Western Conference in NBA history and established themselves as one of the top teams in the entire league. You can make a strong case for guys like Mo Cheeks, Rick Adelman, Doc Rivers, Phil Jackson, and even Nate McMillan, but what Scott has done with virtually the same cast in a one-year span is remarkable.


    [​IMG] Rookie of the Year: Al Horford (ATL)
    Statistically, Al Horford is nothing to write home about, although he does in fact lead all rookies in rebounding and double-doubles. If you were to simply compare and contrast Al Horford and Kevin Durant’s game logs, you’d unanimously conclude that Durant is on a separate planet. However, that is not entirely true. Durant came into the league extremely raw. Talented, but raw. He struggled to adapt right away and often was unable to find the comfort zone he was able to play with each game in his freshman year of college. At Texas, you saw the 19-year-old phenom bust out the entire arsenal. Spin moves, penetration, post-ups, fall-aways, perimeter jumpers, up and unders… you name it. Early in his rookie season, you were seeing as many effortless, contested jumpers from Durant as any other labeled “chucker” in the NBA.

    Granted, Durant has capped off his up-and-down rookie season on a tremendous tear, scoring over 21 points per contest at a much improved 46% clip since the All-Star break, but that hasn’t been the case year-round. Inconsistent has virtually been Durant’s middle name (except for the month of March), while Al Horford is the epitome of solidity. His defensive presence has added a new dimension to the Atlanta Hawks; a dimension they haven’t had in years and will be grateful to have for the next decade. You may not see many 30-point games from Horford, but you know what you are getting from the versatile big man each and every night. With Durant, you’ll have plenty of notable nights to tell your friends about, but you won’t be able to marvel at his gifts as often as you’d like. In fact, you’ll find more cons than pros at this stage of his young, promising career. Horford, on the other hand, is the better all-around player on the better team. Durant may set himself up for many awards throughout his career, but the Rookie of the Year trophy should not be handed to him based on his name and hype alone.


    [​IMG] Defensive Player of the Year: Kevin Garnett (BOS)
    If there are any absolute clear-cut award winners this year, Defensive Player of the Year should be it. Many arguments for this award are circled around the mind-blowing stats of Marcus Camby. Don’t get me wrong, 13 rebounds and nearly four blocks per game is outstanding; it really is. But as many historical basketball figures would tell you, individual stats aren’t everything. You want some stats? I’ll give you some. The Boston Celtics rank first in opponents field goal percentage, opponents points, opponents three point percentage, and opponents assists. In addition, they are third in forced turnovers, fifth in steals, and heck - they are even fourth in opponents free throw percentage (take it for what it’s worth). Kevin Garnett is the anchor behind the NBA’s top defense, and is arguably the NBA’s most complete defensive player. How many seven-footers do you see lock up the inside against bulky players as well as lanky athletes, defend the perimeter, rebound the ball, talk constantly, make on-point rotations nine out of ten times, and lead the full-court trap with their point guard? The answer to that question is one, and his name is Kevin Garnett.

    If Kevin Garnett doesn’t win MVP, that’s fine. Others are just as deserving. But if “The Big Ticket” isn’t given the Defensive Player of the Year trophy, it would be the absolute most blasphemous award travesty in NBA history.


    [​IMG] Sixth Man of the Year: Manu Ginobili (SA)
    Like Defensive Player of the Year, the race for this award virtually involves one man. If there are any players in the NBA not named Manu Ginobili that deserve the Sixth Man of the Year award, please feel free to let me know, because I’ve yet to come across one. You can make your case as to how he plays starter minutes, but does that really cancel out the impact he makes off the bench? Would Gregg Popovich withhold Ginobili of the starting lineup if it didn’t help San Antonio maintain balance throughout the course of each ballgame? The fact is that Ginobili has made an All-Star caliber impact off the bench, and the amount of minutes he plays in this role should not overshadow its value.


    [​IMG] Most Improved Player of the Year: Hedo Turkoglu (ORL)
    You can make your case for the LaMarcus Aldridge’s, Rudy Gay’s, Jose Calderon’s, and Rajon Rondo’s of the world. Andrew Bynum and Chris Kaman can be thrown into the conversation, even though they battled significant health issues for large portions of the season. With that said, there’s nothing more gratifying than watching a true NBA veteran come out of nowhere with a late-blooming breakout year. Hedo Turkoglu has done just that this season, as the eight-year NBA veteran transformed himself from an inconsistent role player to a borderline All-Star who is counted on to hit clutch shots down the stretch of games. Stan Van Gundy’s system has clearly unleashed the tiger in Turkoglu’s game, and it may be the best thing that could have ever happened to his career. Whatever the reason may be, Turkoglu’s improvements from 2006-2007 to 2007-2008 are astonishing.


    [​IMG] Most Valuable Player: Kevin Garnett (BOS)
    It would be a lie to say that this selection isn’t affected by a grain of bias, but Kevin Garnett’s case for MVP is just as strong as anyone else’s. Garnett has not only changed the outlook of the Boston Celtics, but he changed the culture around these parts entirely. Many are quick to credit the role players for Boston’s success, and they certainly are on-point, but you’re kidding yourself if you believe those players would have signed here if it was Al Jefferson luring them in. Kevin Garnett is an instant free agent magnet. On the practice floor, his heralded intensity does nothing more or less than motivate those around him to work harder. Defensively, he turned the Celtics from arguably the worst defensive team in the league to the very best. Of course, Tom Thibodeau is due a great deal of credit for Boston’s defensive success as well, but Garnett’s presence goes beyond the luxury of having a defensive minded assistant coach. Would Paul Pierce or Ray Allen be playing the best defense of their respective careers without the presence of Garnett alongside them? I think not.

    As a Boston Celtics die-hard, I could go on and on listing reasons as to why Garnett is as deserving as Kobe Bryant or Chris Paul for the MVP trophy, but let’s sum it all up on this: In 2005, Steve Nash won it because he resurrected a franchise. Last season, Dirk Nowitzki won it because he was the best player on the best team in the league. This year, friends, Kevin Garnett has done both… and then some.</div>
     
  2. pegs

    pegs My future wife.

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    Once again, Manu makes me sick as MVP. He's not a 6th man. He's the 3rd best player on that team.

    And Horford over Durant is iffy. I'm torn between the two, but I'd choose Durant for the hell of it.
     
  3. Sir Desmond

    Sir Desmond JBB Stig!

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Durant may set himself up for many awards throughout his career, but the Rookie of the Year trophy should not be handed to him based on his name and hype alone.</div>

    No, it should go to him because he's been the best rookie hands down. His last two months have proven that, and he's actually had his best month in April, which you didn't mention.

    There is no true argument that can be made for Horford here, apart from him playing on a 37-win playoff team with a far better supporting cast.
     
  4. BasX

    BasX I Win

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    <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Sir Desmond @ Apr 18 2008, 06:32 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Durant may set himself up for many awards throughout his career, but the Rookie of the Year trophy should not be handed to him based on his name and hype alone.</div>

    No, it should go to him because he's been the best rookie hands down. His last two months have proven that, and he's actually had his best month in April, which you didn't mention.

    There is no true argument that can be made for Horford here, apart from him playing on a 37-win playoff team with a far better supporting cast.
    </div>
    +1, every team plans to stop Durant when they play the Sonics, hes the number 1 option and still has great numbers as a rookie. Horford is what, the 4th option?
     

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