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PE's 2008-09 NBA awards: Who's your MVP?
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LBJ for MVP? (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
Now that the NBA's regular season and the Pacers' season about done, it's time for me to hand out my first edition of the Pacer Examiner NBA regular season awards. This was definitely a year of great performances back from Kobe's game at Madison Square Garden, followed by LeBrons triple-double that would later on be re-evaluated by the league. There were also franchises that made significant strides such as the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Denver Nuggets.
With that said, we will start off with the front office:
EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
Mark Warkentien (Denver Nuggets)
Can one trade earn an executive an award for being the executive of the year? Bet your bottom dollar it can! Especially if that team went from a team that would be lucky to make the playoffs into one of the elite teams in the league.
When Warkentien traded for hometown boy Chauncey Billups for Allen Iverson in the beginning of the year, there were people who were saying Billups was in the twilight of his career. What people took for granted was Billups' leadership and savvy for the game as the former University of Colorado star gave precisely what the talented but often haphazard Nuggets group what they needed- direction. With Allen Iverson, the Nuggets were an explosive offensive team but looked more like a bunch of individuals as they took more contested and one-on-one shots. With Billups, the Nuggets' offense seemed more like a fine tuned engine. Credit to Warkentien for taking the risk and addressing his team's needs.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Rick Adelman (Houston Rockets)
Really? Yes really!!! I am actually a bit surprised that not a lot more analysts out there have been showing Rick Adelman more love. Adelman has done a magnificent job with the Rockets ever since he took over their head coaching job. This season, the team has had to deal with injury after another and have had to get help from the D-League more than the average NBA team. Their star player has been out for a while now, plus the fact that they just recently acquired volatile basket case, Ron Artest (you already know what I mean). Somehow, Adelman has just been able to find way to keep his team competitive. They are just one full game behind the second-best record in the highly competitive Western Conference.
Other people I have to throw love to are former Pacers assistant coach and current Cleveland Cavaliers' coach Mike Brown. You also have Jerry Sloan, Phil Jackson and Heat's rookie head coach Mike Spoelstra.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Danny Granger (Indiana Pacers)
To me this is simply a no-brainer; Danny Granger is having a phenomenal season. He is 5th in the league in scoring with an average of 25.8 points per game and has been able to bounce back from an ankle injury he suffered last February to finish the season strong. Word on the street however is that this award has some bad luck attached to it. Former winners such as Monta Ellis, Bobby Simmons, Alan Henderson, Gheorghe Muresan and Don MacLean among others, have all suffered either injuries or just failed to continue with their success after winning this award.
Other candidates would be Devin Harris, Aaron Brooks, Rajon Rondo and Nate Robinson.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)
Nate Robinson may have stolen Superman's thunder during this year's All-Star game but Dwight Howard is simply a beast on D. He leads the league in rebounds and blocks and definitely changes and alters opponents' shots just by his mere presence. Not since Shaquille O'Neal's early years have I seen such an astounding physical specimen.
I can't really think of anybody close to be a runner-up to Howard but I tip my hats off to Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest and even guys like Dhantay Jones who have all put great efforts on the defensive end.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER AWARD
LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers)
LeBron James is on top of his game right now. He is just so athletically gifted and such a dynamic player that it's pretty much impossible to guard him one by one. I called this way back when I started writing here. All the Lakers and Kobe fans were blowing up my mailbox telling me how Kobe should be the MVP and a whole bunch more stuff that I just tend to laugh at and throw out the window. LbJ also has led his team all year long and now have the best record in the entire league! Number two sin't even close. LbJ has been a walking triple-double all year long with averages of 28.4 points per game, 7.2 assists and 7.6 rebounds per. And the scary part is, the kid is only 24 years old!!! He's a beast!
Kobe, DWade, Chauncey Billups and Tim Duncan all get mad love from me for playing great basketball all season too.
TO BE CONTINUED
(will name rookie of the year & 3rd team all the way down to first in the continuation of this article)
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