So we’re pretty much at the halfway point of the 2012 NBA season. It’s been a weird season, considering it was almost a season that never existed. A shortened schedule, a lack of parody, and a clear, but hopefully temporary drop-off in the quality of play have all hindered this season. But then again, the NBA is captivating audiences like never before. Hmmm, maybe the lockout was all part of the plan. Anyway, since we’re halfway home, let’s take a look at the winners and losers of the first two months.
BEST TEAM- OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER The Guy just can’t sit here with a straight face and type “Miami Heat” without wanting to throw my laptop through a window. I just can’t do it. I won’t lie to you and say they aren’t a great team, but are they really the best team of the first half? I would go out on a limb and take the Thunder instead. They both have identical records (27-7), and although Miami has won eight in a row, Oklahoma City is in a stronger, deeper conference with much better competition. The Thunder also have just one bad loss on the year (at Washington), while the Heat have three of them (two against Milwaukee and one more against Golden State). The biggest difference for me is the surrounding cast. I suppose a rational thinker might choose LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh over Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden as your “Big Three”; but the rest of the Oklahoma City roster trumps Miami’s supporting cast by a long shot. Give me guys like Thabo Sefolosha, Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, and Nick Collison all day.
MVP – CHRIS PAUL If you expect me to say that LeBron is the MVP of the league then you clearly don’t know The Guy as well as you thought you did. I fucking hate LeBron James. Now, with that being said, LeBron is clearly putting up one of the best statistical seasons ever; but stats only say so much. Take away LeBron James and the Heat would be just as competitive because they have DWade to fall back on. Kevin Durant is another logical MVP candidate, but if you take him out of the equation, the Thunder would still be a decent team because Russell Westbrook would pick up the slack. No, The Guy is gonna be a little different on this one and take Chris Paul. Take him out of LA and what are the Clippers? Exciting? Absolutely. But would they be a championship caliber team? Not even close. Blake Griffin would continue to put up gaudy numbers, while throwing down outrageous dunks left and right; but the Clippers wouldn’t remotely be a contender. Granted he’s missed some time due to injury, but Chris Paul has been the difference maker in Los Angeles. He is the complete point guard, arguably the NBA’s best next to Derrick Rose, who would be my other choice for MVP if it weren’t for his inability to stay healthy. It’s a point guard-driven league this year more than ever, and the emergence of the Clippers is evidence of that. Come on, Chris Paul made the Clippers relevant! The Clippers!!!! That alone deserves a trophy.
COACH OF THE YEAR – KEVIN MCHALE Hey, how about that! Kevin McHale might have failed miserably as a General Manager in Minnesota, but as a head coach he has an undermanned Houston Rockets squad playing with a serious chip on their shoulders. I mean really, who thought the Rockets would be fifth in the Western Conference at the All-Star Break? Sure, a much-improved Kyle Lowry is a huge reason for their success, but McHale has to be a favorite for Coach of the Year considering how young and inexperienced his team is.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – ANDRE IGUODALA I honestly want to put him on a short list of MVP candidates because of how surprisingly good Philadelphia has been this year, but that might be a stretch. Still, this has undoubtedly been the best season of his career, and he has really embodied and embraced the leadership role with the Sixers, especially on the defensive end. He locks down the opposing teams’ top scorer each and every night, a la Bruce Bowen and Tony Allen in their respective primes. Seriously, just watch this guy play defense; it’s a thing of beauty.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER (NOT INCLUDING JEREMY LIN) – RYAN ANDERSON This award has already been given to Jeremy Lin. It’s not really fair to everyone else in the league vying for this honor, but it is what it is. So out of everyone not named Jeremy Lin, Ryan Anderson would be my guy. The problem throughout Dwight Howard’s career has been the lack of a number two scoring option. Vince Carter, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson; none of those guys got the job done. I don’t necessarily believe Ryan Anderson is the saving grace of the Orlando Magic, especially once (notice I didn’t say “if”) Howard leaves. Yet, he’s provided some serious scoring punch for Orlando (16.1 ppg), while hitting a league-high 99 three pointers on the season. For a guy who started just 14 games a year ago, this season has been a vast improvement for Anderson.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – KYRIE IRVING This comes down to two players, and two players only. Who’s going to have a better career: Ricky Rubio or Kyrie Irving? If that were the question, I would say Rubio all day. He’s got an uncanny ability to make his teammates better, to the point where guys like Nikola Pekovic and Luke Ridnour are playing well above their potential. Along with Kevin Love, Rubio is making the Timberwolves exciting to watch again. His game has that flash that fans love these days, but he’s also incredibly smart with the basketball. They would be a contender if they weren’t in the Western Conference. Kyrie Irving, on the other hand, is the works of making Cleveland a contender in the East. Theoretically, the post-LeBron Cleveland Cavaliers could make the playoffs and it’s all thanks to Irving, who has jack shit to work with aside from an aging Antawn Jamison. Irving is averaging 18 plus points per game and has helped rejuvenate Jamison, who is right behind him with 17 points per game. Once again, if you take away Rubio, the Wolves aren’t exactly terrible because of Kevin Love. Take away Irving, and the Cavs are probably the worst team in the league.
THE WORST OF THE WORST – CHARLOTTE BOBCATS Actually, the Cavs could never be the worst team in the league, even without Kyrie Irving and Antawn Jamison. No, that honor goes to the Charlotte Bobcats, who at 4-28, probably boast the worst collection of talent we’ve seen in this league in over a decade. A group of Care Bears could probably beat the Bobcats in five-on-five, they’re that bad. Contraction, anyone?
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