Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Early Season Awards

MVP
Kevin Durant- The best player on the best team in the league has to be in the MVP conversation. Not to mention that guy is Kevin Durant. KD has improved across the board this year. He is scoring as efficiently as ever while putting up career highs in rebounds and assists. Its scary that Durant is only 24. He's still far from hitting his peak and thats got to be scary  for the rest of the league.

Lebron James- The reigning finals MVP and league MVP is having yet another incredible year. Its hard to quantify how good LeBron is purely off the numbers. His stats are right around what they usually are 25 plus points, almost nine rebounds, and about 7 assists. While those numbers are impressive they don't really do the man any justice. LeBron affects the game on both ends of the floor more than anyone in the league. He makes his teammates better and has come to the point where he can dominate a game without even scoring.


Chris Paul- CP3 is the best point guard in the NBA hands down. He has the Clippers playing the best basketball they've played in my lifetime and looking like they could come out the west. His handles are impeccable, his creativity is unmatched and his Napoleon complex keeps him hungrier than any player in the league. I'm not sure if anyone wants to win more than Chris Paul. He's changed the culture in LA and has his team poised to make a push toward the finals.


Carmelo Anthony- When talent meets desire you get Carmelo Anthony in 2012. Melo is playing the best basketball of his career. He lost weight, got focused and the results are coming through. The Knicks are way better than I expected they would be and have a real chance to dethrone the Heat. Its going to be a tough task and I've never seen a team do it with the 3-ball like the Knicks are, but if Carmelo keeps up his play, sky is the limit (word to B.I.G.)

Rookie of the Year
Damian Lillard- If you've read this blog before you know Damian Lillard is my guy. In my opinion he's separated himself from the pack as far as rookies go. His game is smooth and his talent is endless. Did you see the game winner? Supposedly he said "Oakland bitch," after he hit it. I'm kidding, he seems like a nice guy, but if he did, how gangsta would that be? As of right now, its a one man race and rightfully so. Lillard looks like the next great point guard.

Anthony Daivs- Davis has had a pretty injury riddled first year in the league, but now that he's healthy we are seeing some promising signs. Davis is smart, plays tough defense and is a great finisher. He still needs to beef up and gain more experience, which will come with him staying healthy, but for now he is looking like the smart choice at number one.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist- MGKis a do it all kind of player. He'll score, grab boards and play tough D on a nightly basis. As of now, I can't say MGK is great at anything, except maybe defense. He kind of reminds me of Gerald Wallace, just solid across the board. He is way ahead of where Gerald Wallace was at this age and will probably be a guy that never turns into the best player in the league, but is a model of consistency and effort.

6th Man of the Year
Jamal Crawford- Crawford is one of the most fun players to watch. Once he catches the ball his defenders butt hole instantly tightens in fear of shitting himself after Jamal puts the moves on him. Honestly, I almost shit myself sometimes when I watch. He is giving the Clippers serious fire power off the bench and is one of the reasons why they have the best record in the NBA.

JR Smith- This category is really a two-man-race in my opinion. JR Smith is one of the most talented players in the league. He has the athleticism, shooting ability, and defensive prowess to be one of the best players in the league, but for some reason he has never been able to put it together. This year with an increased role and more importantly, increased trust with his coach, we are seeing Smith blossom. His defensive rating is the highest of his career and his PER is the best its been since 2009. Smith is also putting up great rebounding numbers and has even sealed a few games for the Knicks. I'm glad to see him finally getting some respect.