Mid-season wrap

The NBA all-star weekend is now in the books. The all-star game and even the dunk contest was not too bad this time. The contestants came up with some creative dunks for a change and made it slightly interesting. Blake Griffin even brought a car in to jump over with Baron Davis sitting in it. Now the stars can go back to their teams for the second half push and playoffs. This is a good time to look back at the first half and also hand out some interesting awards. Most teams have played 54 or 56 games and that makes up about 68% of the season. So we are way past the halfway mark of the season though we consider this the official mid-season. Everybody and their grand moms are handing out mid-season awards and here's my list.

MVP:
There's a lot of momentum building for LeBron James for MVP despite the pre-season projection that his days as a MVP candidate are over. Even LeBron himself said it would be difficult for both himself and Dwayne Wade to win MVPs from now on since they have joined forces. Surprisingly, LeBron has managed to distinguish himself both through his individual brilliance the last several weeks and through the great run the Heat is on. Even more than the Heat's record, it's the Cavs record thats helping Bron's MVP candidature. The Cavs are 10-46 and they are basically the same team as last year, minus LeBron. Yes, they have had a couple of injuries, but with LeBron, they would still be winning 60 games. That just shows how important and unique a player he is. With all that said, my MVP is Derrick Rose. He is scoring almost 25 points and dishing 8 assists per game and has the Bulls just 2 games behind the Heat and the Celtics. And he is doing all this with injuries to Boozer and Noah. The Bulls may not be better than the Celtics, but don't be surprised if they shock us with a deep playoffs run. LeBron is great, but I am going to hold Wade against him. Though he is clearly emerging as the biggest of the big 3 in Miami, Wade isn't exactly chopped liver. Wade is still averaging 25.4 PPG and thats no joke. Also, keep an eye on Kevin Durant in the second half. He could steal the MVP if the Thunder make a major push in the West.

Coach of the Year:
Chicago's Tom Thibodeau is a top candidate in many people's eyes for the coach of the year. I would instead give the MVP to D-Rose and give him most of the credit for the Bulls' season. Thibodeau has done a great job, but that Bulls roster does have some talent. If anything, they were expected to breakout the last couple of years and it has taken D-Rose's brilliance for them to take off this year. My coach of the year is actually Gregg Popovich. Not only does he have the Spurs leading the league with a ridiculous 46-10 record, but he is doing it with pretty much the same team as last year. But he has reinvented their style and approach and has convinced Tim Duncan to take a backseat on offense. I have never seen such a seamless adjustment by a coach with the same roster. Risky, dangerous and brilliant strategy all at the same time and he deserves an award for it.

Rookie of the Year:
Easiest award of them all, unless you are disputing the fact that Blake Griffin is even a rookie. Blake Griffin is averaging 27.6 points and 14.4 rebounds per game and brings a load of excitement to every Clipper game with his effort and power, not to mention the monstrous dunks he is known for.

Executive of the Year:
I guess this is an easy award too, considering all that has happened in Miami. Pat Riley deserves this award for buying LeBron and Bosh to run with Wade. I don't think they will win the championship this year, but Riles should still pat himself on the back for bringing arguably the best player in all of basketball to Miami. Speaking of, Reggie Miller during the all-star broadcast on TV referred to Kevin Durant as the guy who is going to be the best player in the NBA in 2 years. Barkley immediately responded like only he can by saying "you better hope LeBron is dead for it to be true". Thats would be a "LOL" moment if I was a teenager, but that's exactly what I am grappling with as well. I totally see Durant becoming an absolute monster, especially as a scorer in a year or two, but I don't know how anyone can be more complete or better than this LeBron James dude. It's going to be great watching those 2 grow into their NBA greatness.

Most Improved Player:
Another award for which Derrick Rose can actually qualify, though I won't give it to him. This goes to Dorell Wright from the Warriors over Russell Westbrook of the Thunder. Westbrook has become a legitimate second option behind Durant and a force to reckon with, but he was still good last year. Also, I think he is still slightly over-rated. But Dorell Wright has been lighting it up for the Warriors with 16.5-5.7-3.2 per game. Thats impressive for a guy who barely left the pine in his previous stop. The Warriors GM not only found the right guy, but also found a way to use him.

Defensive player of the year:
At almost 14 boards and 2 blocks per game, it's hard not to give this award to Dwight. He definitely makes his presence felt on the defensive end and he needs to play like a defensive player of the year the rest of the way to keep the Magic in it and then take them further in the playoffs.

Power Rankings:
Here are my NBA power rankings - just the top 8. Who cares which is the 18-Th best team in the NBA - not even a hard-core Suns fan like me.

1) San Antonio Spurs - Their record is real, their lead over the Lakers is legit. I think it's going to be a Spurs-Celtics finals.
2) Boston Celtics - The East is not going to be a bed of roses, but these veterans can handle any thorns on their way.
3) LA Lakers - The Lakers are slipping, but the Black Mamba is still lethal.
4) Dallas Mavericks - The Mavs should probably be ranked higher, but they have disappointed us too many times in the past.
5) Miami Heat - I am not a believer yet, definitely not against the big, talented playoff teams.
6) Chicago Bulls - With a healthy Noah and Boozer, this team has everything you could ask for.
7) Orlando Magic - Good team, but too much going on in the East these days. They might fall short.
8) Oklahoma City Thunder - Durant's next step may not happen this year.