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| AP Photo/Jim Mone |
Player Awards
MVP:
Matt (@matthouston91)- LeBron James
I'm a big fan of and believer in advanced statistics. LeBron James runs away with basically every advanced stat there is. His PER is at 35.22 (Kobe Bryant is second at 26.96), his Estimated Wins Added is 6.9 (Kobe is second with 5.6), his Value Added is 205.5 (Kobe second with 168.8...168.8!!!! It's not even close!) and he is third in Usage Rate. Even with all of those crazy advanced stats my favorite LeBron stat on the season is his field goal percentage. LeBron is shooting a whopping 56.4% from the field. He's only taking 1.3 threes a game, as opposed to 3.5 last season, and he is making 45% of them. Basically LeBron is having the best season ever right now.
Henno (@henryemoson)- LeBron James
According to John Hollinger's statistic, PER, which evaluates player efficiency, Lebron James is having the best season of all time. That also means he is having a better season this year than anyone else in the league... 30-7-7, yeah that sounds just about right. It's unlikely Lebron can sustain these statistics when Dwyane Wade returns, but for now Lebron is definitely the MVP.
Rookie Of The Year:
Matt- Kyrie Irving
The Rookie of the Year award is basically going to come down to two players who were drafted in different years for the second season in a row. Ricky Rubio has stolen the hearts of many, myself included, but that shouldn't make us overlook what Kyrie Irving is doing in Cleveland. Irving is averaging 17.4 points, 4.9 assists and 3.3 rebounds. The most impressive thing about his rookie campaign though is the efficiency which he has been able to produce at. Kyrie is shooting 50% from the field, 42.5% from beyond the arc and 80% from the free throw line. Throw in the fact that he has made the Cavs relatively relevant and you've got your ROY.
Henno- Ricky Rubiooooo
Kyrie Irving is certainly making a strong case for ROY, but the Spanish Sensation gets my vote. Irving might actually edge out Rubio in terms of pure play as well, but Ricky has ignited the Timberwolves fan base with his fancy passing. Rubio has made Kahn's point guard fetish look, actually sort of good, as him and Ridnour have teamed up for a solid backcourt. Rubio will make your jaw hit the floor at least two times a game, which has to be worth something.
Pleasant Surprise:
Matt- Ryan Anderson
Last year we saw glimpses of how deadly Ryan Anderson could be from three land, but this season we haven't seen anything but magnificent shooting and play from the third year man out of Cali. Anderson is averaging 16.4 points and 6.8 boards a game while shooting 40.5% from downtown and 90.7% from the charity stripe. The fact that Anderson isn't afraid to leave the perimeter and attack the rim (he's shooting 1.3 more shots per game at the rim this year than he was last year) makes him all that more deadly. Ryan Anderson gets buckets.
Henno- Tiago Splitter/Manu Ginobili
Two Spurs get the nod here as the best run franchise in the league continues to evade Father Time. Splitter has filled in nicely when Tim Duncan needs an extended rest and looks like he is developing into another late first-round steal for the Spurs. Manu Ginobili was having his best and most efficient season of his career before he was sidelined by a hand injury. Although it's a small sample size, Manu was shooting 50% from three and a staggering 59% from the field.
Biggest Disappointment:
Matt- Amar'e Stoudemire
After looking like one of the most dominant big men in the game last season, Amar'e has been incredibly mediocre to start the 2011-2012 campaign. To be fair, the entire Knicks team has been mediocre. He is a career 53.4% shooter, but this season he is only hitting 41.3% of his attempts. That is a pretty shocking discrepancy. Another thing that Amar'e isn't doing nearly as well as he normally does is get to the free throw line. His career average is 7.7 attempts per game, but this year he is only taking 5.9. If the Knicks are going to rebound from a downright bad start, they are going to need Stoudemire to get going.
Henno- John Wall
To be fair, John Wall hasn't played that poorly this season and he is in an awful situation. But, everyone was expecting him to make the leap this year, which he certainly hasn't done. His field goal percentage and assists per game have slightly dropped while all other major statistics have remained stable. Hopefully, Wall will show signs of improvement as the year progresses, but thus far he has been a disappointment.
Sixth Man:
Matt- Lou Williams
As long as James Harden continues to come off the bench he will be the best "sixth man." In reality though Harden is a starter, averaging 30 minutes per game. Lou Williams on the other hand is truly a sixth man, and he is playing the role terrifically this year. His career high PER in a season is 18.93, and so far this year he has a PER of 22.48. So take a moment and listen to Lou spit some rhymes...
Henno- James Harden
Speaking of players expected to make the leap, James Harden has done that, and more. Harden continues to be difficult to guard, especially while Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are on the floor. If Harden continues to shoot well, he will beat out any competition for this award.
Underrated:
Matt- Paul Millsap
I can't stress enough how well Paul Millsap is playing this year. He is 4th in league in PER, 8th in both Value Added and Estimated Wins Added and is shattering all of his previous career high numbers. Paul Millsap better be an All-Star this year.
Henno- Danilo Gallinari
Danilo Gallinari is the leading scorer for a Nuggets team that is better than they ever were with Carmelo leading the way. A player that used to only be a spot up shooter has developed his game and is now able to create his own shot. This year it has been common for Gallinari to go to the free throw line up to 10 times a game.
Team Awards
Best Team:
Matt- Chicago Bulls
The Bulls truly epitomize the word "team." They are second in offensive efficiency, only trailing the Heat, and are second in defensive efficiency, trailing the 76ers. They are tied for the most assists per game of any team, and they rebound better than everybody else too. The Bulls have practically no weakness, and have the size and perimeter defenders necessary to take down the Miami Heat. I'm already looking forward to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Henno- Oklahoma City Thunder
One of the key concerns many people had about the Thunder was whether Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook actually got along. After the Thunder inked up Westbrook for the long term it has to be accepted that the two stars actually like each other. The Heat certainly have more talent from their big three, however they don't mesh as well as Durant and Westbrook. Lebron James and Dwyane Wade serve the same role on the team in a way Westbrook and Durant do not. Pair them up with Ibaka, Perkins, and Harden and you have yourself the best team in the NBA.
Worst Team:
Matt- Washington Wizards
While the Bulls epitomize the word "team" the Wizards probably have five guys on the roster that can't spell "team." The firing of Flip Saunders was inevitable, but I don't expect any different play from the Wizards as long as Andray Blatche is getting minutes. Why does Ernie Grunfeld still have a job? Seriously.
Henno- Washington Wizards
As didthewizardswinlastnight.com pointed out, with only two wins on the year the Wizards have a 1:1 wins to coaches ratio. A new coach might help temporarily motivate the Wizards but expect them to finish last in the standings by the end of the year.
Pleasant Surprise:
Matt- Atlanta Hawks
I think most people expected the Hawks to stay stagnant or even regress this season, but instead they have gotten off to a great start. The loss of big man, Al Horford, will hurt this team, it wouldn't shock me if it ends up crushing this team, but for now the Hawks are playing well and even seemed to have learned how to pass.
Henno- Philadelphia 76ers
It might not be that surprising after playing well in the playoffs last year, but I really appreciate what Philadelphia is doing without a true star player. In the same conference where Miami has three stars, the 76ers are doing just as well, which is both pleasant and surprising.
Biggest Disappointment:
Matt- New York Knicks
I am not afraid to admit that I bought into the Knicks prior to this season. Why exactly? Well I'm not totally sure. Mike D'Antoni not having a real point guard to run his offense, Carmelo and Amar'e both needing the ball constantly, and an incredibly weak bench would seem to lead to disaster, and certainly thus far it has. Iman Shumpert might be great someday, but he's not going to save the Knicks right now. Baron Davis might have been great back in the day, but he's not going to save the Knicks right now. Time to panic Knicks fans.
Henno- New York Knicks
The Celtics and Mavericks have also been disappointments up to this point, however both of those teams are aging fast and were expected to decline a little. The Knicks on the other hand, were expected to challenge the Bulls and Heat for the top spot in the East. A'mare Stoudemire has disappeared this year and Carmelo Anthony has proved he's not a guy you want to build your team around. You know it's a bad sign when your fan base is claiming Baron Davis will turn it around.
Worst Passing Team:
Matt- Washington Wizards
This prestigious title only had two viable contenders. The Wizards, and the Wizards West, aka the Kings. I'm going with the Wizards. Any team that can include Nick Young, Andray Blatche, JaVale McGee, Rashard Lewis and Jordan Crawford deserves to win something bad. #FireGrunfeld
Henno- Sacramento Kings
The Kings don't like to pass the basketball. The Wizards don't like to pass the basketball. Take your pick. Sacramento fans suck so I chose Sacramento. The Kings have 280 assists and have made 593 field goals. The Wizards have 285 assists and have made 584 field goals. Those numbers are pretty similar and pretty bad.
Most Improved Team:
Matt- Philadelphia 76ers
I could easily write 1500 words on the why I love this 76ers team, and I probably will soon, but for now I am just going to say that they are playing some of the most beautiful team basketball I have seen in a long time.
Henno- Indiana Pacers
As Paul George grows, the Pacers improve. The Pacers are currently second in the East with an 11-4 record. Although they gave Chicago a good series last year in the first round, they finished the season 8 games under .500. They are winning about 28% more games this year than last; we'll see if they will be able to contend in the playoffs, but for now the complete turnaround will do.
You can follow Matt on Twitter @matthouston91 and you can find Henno @henryemoson. Also you can follow Love Boat Sports @LoveBoatSports and you can "Like" us on Facebook here.
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