No doubt Most Valuable Player is the most important award as it represents the best player in the league. For decades the MVP has been a point of contention for many. Is it the best player based on stats or is it the best player on the best team, etc? The top five MVP candidates could be:
- LeBron James, Cleveland. The reigning MVP always puts up just plain silly numbers and will likely do it again this season. Look for LeBron to drop 30 a game, with seven assists and seven rebounds. Cleveland likely contends for the East's top spot with Boston as well.
- Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers. The second-part of the no-brainer series ends with Kobe. Bryant's numbers will probably not be as gawdy as James but the Lakers' talent is head and shoulders above Cleveland so LeBron has to score more, etc.
- Dwayne Wade, Miami. Wade makes up the Holy Trinity of prime superstars with Bryant and James. On any given night Wade can stick an opponent for 50. He has carried Miami for a number of years--and if healthy will do it again this year.
- Chris Paul, New Orleans. Similar to Wade, Paul does it all for his club. Without him the Hornets would be a lottery team. He, again like Wade, is a one-man wrecking crew.
- Chris Bosh, Toronto. The sleeper pick of the group, Bosh could be the most underrated All-Star in the NBA. Yet every night he shows up and gets the Raptors 20 and ten. With Toronto adding Hedo Turkoglu to help the scoring load, Bosh is positioned for a huge season.
The Winner--LeBron James
Rookie of the Year
The last decade or so, the NBA has often had clear-cut rookies that would take home this hardware. 2009-10 seems to be Blake Griffin's time to shine and win the ROY. Last season's winner was Derrick Rose of Chicago. He, like Griffin in LA, was given the minutes needed to learn the game at the pro level. Many rookies won't get that luxury, especially when playing for a better than average or a playoff team. The top three ROY candidates could be:
- Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers. The top overall pick was an absolute beast at Oklahoma. He attacks the rim, he rebounds, has nice hands for a big guy, and blocks shots. His lone weakness will be his outside game and free throw shooting, both those should improve with time (see Karl Malone).
- Tyreke Evans, Sacramento. If Griffin is pushed at all for this award it will be from Evans. An athletic and long point guard, Evans will see the minutes needed to be the rookie of the year.
- Johnny Flynn, Minnesota. Flynn will fly under the radar for a lot of the season, mostly because Minnesota will struggle. The former Orangeman should see playing time right away, but may be from the bench behind veteran Ramon Sessions. If given the time, he could be a darkhorse ROY.
The Winner--Blake Griffin
Sixth Man of the Year
Perhaps the most difficult award to predict because of it's changing nature. A player starts the year on the bench and by mid-season is no longer considered a sixth man. Here are the top three guys that could take this season's sixth man hardware:
- Ben Gordon, Detroit. No surprise here. Gordon is a scoring machine and generally comes off the bench to provide spark. He will do this in Detroit following the off-season trade from Chicago. Gordon led the Bulls in scoring five straight seasons so you know that he can score.
- Nate Robinson, New York. Robinson is an explosive point guard with a score-first mentality. Playing in New York only helps his cause because the Knicks love to run-and-gun. It also doesn't hurt that Robinson is playing behind Chris Duhon and is clearly a better fit for the system so the minutes will be there for Robinson.
- Lamar Odom, Los Angeles Lakers. Odom is probably the most logical pick because he will play starter minutes on a really good team. He can score, rebound, and pass--all in a 6'11 frame.
The winner--Lamar Odom
Filling out the remaining awards for this season are as follows:
- Most Improved--Michael Beasley, Miami. Miami's first pick from a year ago knows the game now and what it takes to be a pro. The talent is there yet the questions about his character will plague Beasley until he has a break out season. This year look for 20 points and close to ten rebounds for Beasley.
- Coach of the Year--Jerry Sloan, Utah. Sloan wins this award because he is the most underrated coach in the history of the NBA. He also will win it because the Jazz will surprise many teams this year as the sleeper of the West.
- Defensive Player of the Year--Dwight Howard, Orlando. Superman is a beast on defense. Not only his the best rebounder in the NBA but blocks three shots a game. This is his award to lose, although Ron Artest could be a sleeper.
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