Prediction: Derrick Rose (G-Bulls)
As LeBron James left Cleveland for Miami, many expected Chicago to win the Central Division and be a dark horse in the East. However, no one expected that the Bulls would have an NBA-best 62-20 record and be a serious championship contender. Derrick Rose has been the constant for this team as Chicago dealt with injuries to Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah, a new coach in Tom Thibodeau, and an inadequate 2 guard. Rose raised his average to 25.0 points per game, while expanding his range on the floor with 128 made 3-pointers (he only ATTEMPED 132 threes in his first two seasons). He, the team, and the city now hope he can lead the Bulls to their first title in the post-Jordan era.
Honorable Mention: Kobe Bryant (LAL), Dwight Howard (ORL), LeBron James (MIA), Dirk Nowitzki (DAL)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR [confirmed]
Winner: Dwight Howard (C-Magic)
Actually more of a confirmation than a prediction, but choosing Howard for the third year in a row is a no-brainer. According to http://www.basketball-reference.com/, Howard had the lowest defensive rating and accounted for more than 7.0 wins on defense alone over the past three years. If you want simpler stats, he had 9.7 defensive rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game this season. Great call for a definite game-changing big.
Actual Runner-ups: Kevin Garnett (BOS), Tyson Chandler (DAL), Tony Allen (MEM), Rajon Rondo (BOS)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Prediction: Blake Griffin (F-Clippers)
This is another no-brainer here as Griffin dominated from start to finish after missing all of last season. Griffin made up for lost time after leading all rookies with 22.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Aside from his nightly highlight-reel dunks, he received a selection to the NBA All-Star Game—the first rookie to be selected by the coaches since 1998.
Honorable Mention: John Wall (WAS), DeMarcus Cousins (SAC), Greg Monroe (DET), Landry Fields (NY)
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Prediction: Kevin Love (F-Timberwolves)
In his first two seasons, Love showed great potential in limited time. However, Love made the most out of his increased playing time by working on all aspects of his game. In addition to leading the NBA in rebounds, he made 41.7 percent of his 3-points and increased his scoring to 20.2 points per game. Also, one cannot forget the impressive 53-game double-double streak or the 31-point, 31-rebound performance against the Knicks on Nov. 12.
Honorable Mention: Eric Gordon (LAC), Dorell Wright (GS), LaMarcus Aldridge (POR), Derrick Rose (CHI)
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Winner: Lamar Odom (F-Lakers) [confirmed]
Possibly the toughest decision I have to make. Do I go with the “true” bench player in Jason Terry or do I go with the better sub in Lamar Odom. Odom wins out due to his 14.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Part of what makes a great sixth man is filling in when needed and Odom did that in his 35 starts. He increased those averages to 16.3 points and 10.2 rebounds while taking over for Andrew Bynum in the starting line-up. Had Odom started six or seven more games…it would be a different story. (The NBA voters actually declared Odom the winner by a landslide, beating Terry 514-244)
Actual Runner-ups: Jason Terry (DAL), Thaddeus Young (PHI), Glen Davis (BOS), Jamal Crawford (ATL)
COACH OF THE YEAR
Prediction: Tom Thibodeau (Bulls)
As the assistant coach for the 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics, Thibodeau had a great defensive gameplan that made him very attractive to Chicago this past offseason. After guiding the team to 62 wins, it is safe to say that he is the coach of the year. The Bulls allowed the second-fewest amount of points per game, while winning 21 more games than the season before.
Honorable Mention: George Karl (DEN), Doug Collins (PHI), Gregg Popovich (SA), Monty Williams (NO)
ALL-NBA TEAM
F- LeBron James (MIA)
F- Kevin Durant (OKC)
C- Dwight Howard (ORL)
G- Derrick Rose (CHI)
G- Kobe Bryant (LAL)
ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
F- Kevin Love (MIN)
F- LeBron James (MIA)
C- Dwight Howard (ORL)
G-Kobe Bryant (LAL)
G- Chris Paul (NO)
ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
F-Blake Griffin (LAC)
F- DeMarcus Cousins (SAC)
C- Greg Monroe (DET)
G- John Wall (WAS)
G- Landry Fields (NY)
Kevin Love on the All-Defensive Team?????
ReplyDeleteIs that some kind of typo?
kevin love on the all-defensive team...LMAO! oh, and not taking anything from bryant, but wade has been the better defender this year...
ReplyDeleteAhaha, pretty sure K Love is the worst defender in the league. Go actually watch some basketball before you post crap like this please.
ReplyDeleteWell first, it is easy to throw insults at one's intelligence when you're hiding behind an anonymous name.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I gave Love the spot thanks to his rebounding. He may not be the best defensive player, but he was second in defensive rebounds and keeping up the streak gets some credit in this. To tell the truth, I was torn between Love and Serge Ibaka, but I do understand.
Also, you cannot go wrong with either Kobe or Wade on the defensive team. They both do very well in defending the best player on the opposing team. Sadly, Wade doesn't make my first team, but he'll definitely make the second team.
Thank you for the comments though! I do encourage banter and I do watch plenty of basketball, anonymous reader #3 ;)
So putting an SN provides less anonymity? Either way, it's people on the internet. It's no harder to insult someone's intelligence if I said my name was FranktheTank83...
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Kevin Love can't block due to his short arms, can't generate steals due to his lack of hand speed, doesn't take charges due to his slow feet, and is middle of the pack in the NBA as far as getting scored on. His Def Rating of 108 per 100 possessions puts him at 222 out of 452. His rebounding instincts and bulk are literally the only great things about his "defense".
Well, you're right. I was enthralled with the rebounding numbers more than anything else. So I'll admit that was my main mistake. Bear with me, I'm learning!
ReplyDelete