Coach of the Year - Gregg Popovich
There are other deserving candidates, but Coach Pop took his old, injured team and led them to the best record in the entire NBA. He did that in a loaded Western Conference no less. And it doesn't matter if the stars aren't playing, he gets the most out of his backups too. There is nobody better in today's game.
6th Man of the Year - Jamal Crawford
Jamal has been doing this a long time - coming in and lighting it up for his team. But this season was even more important as the Clippers had a lot of injuries in the backcourt, notably to Redick and CP3. His 18.5 points per game though ensured there wasn't a dropoff at any point this year though.
Defensive MVP - Joakim Noah
There wasn't any one guy that stood out this season in this category. I could have picked Hibbert, Ibaka, or even Lebron here. But Noah led his undermanned team to a top-4 seed with effort and defensive toughness. His 11.2 rebounds helped, but it was his defense at the rim (opponents shot only 46% when he challenged) that helped his cause. Hibbert seemed like a lock early in the year, but his (and the team's) post-All-Star Game collapse hurt his stock.
Most Improved Player - Lance Stephenson
At this point it looks as if the Pacers will hold onto that 1 seed in the East. Mighty impressive to beat out the Heat, and Lance is likely the difference maker. He's putting up career numbers across the board with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. He's also led the league with five triple-doubles this season. He's gone from an average to below-average starter to a guy who will be one of the marquee free agents this coming summer. If he doesn't get it, I'd love to see Blake Griffin or any number of Suns players to get it.
Rookie of the Year - Michael Carter-Williams
As much as I want to go with Hoosier Oladipo, MCW has earned this award, despite playing on the horrific 76ers. He leads rookies in points, rebounds, and assists (17, 6, 6), and is the only rookie with multiple triple-doubles. His numbers put him in rare company among all-time greats. He's also a solid defender averaging two steals per game. It's been his award the entire year.
MVP - Kevin Durant
It turned out to be a 2-horse race again, but Durant will finally earn his first MVP in my opinion. First off, he's averaged 32 points per game this season. He's had more 30 points games than any other team. In fact, the Heat (with Lebron) had 35 total to his 46. He's throwing in 5.5 assists and over 7 rebounds too. He's dominated the league for numerous streaks (30 point games, 25+ games), and he's led the Thunder to the second best record in the NBA, even while missing Russell Westbrook for a good chunk of the year. Lebron finally will relinquish the award.
By: The Sports Guys
It turned out to be a 2-horse race again, but Durant will finally earn his first MVP in my opinion. First off, he's averaged 32 points per game this season. He's had more 30 points games than any other team. In fact, the Heat (with Lebron) had 35 total to his 46. He's throwing in 5.5 assists and over 7 rebounds too. He's dominated the league for numerous streaks (30 point games, 25+ games), and he's led the Thunder to the second best record in the NBA, even while missing Russell Westbrook for a good chunk of the year. Lebron finally will relinquish the award.
By: The Sports Guys
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