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Where NBA mid-season awards happen
The annual tradition continues
By Brett Winkler
Now that all meaningful football games have been played, unless I’m forgetting one – I can’t seem to think what I would be missing – oh of course! Let me re-phrase: Now that the NFL Pro Bowl is the only remaining football game of any importance whatsoever, nationwide attention turns to the NBA, where hundreds of meaningful games remain, or at least there’s a lot of amazing left to happen.
Since football has been the main focus of sports fans for the last few months, chances are that not everybody is completely up to speed with how the first half of orange-ball action transpired. For this reason, we present to you the 51st annual UWM Post NBA Mid-Season Awards.
It is our hope that this year’s edition will be so useful to the ill-informed fan that it makes the first 50 such awards seem as if they never even existed. It’s certainly the Super Bowl of UWM Post columns. Speaking of Super Bowl, I don’t even remember that happening this year. Must have missed it. On to the awards.
First off, the Western Conference:
ROY (Rookie of the Year): Kevin Durant, Sonics
When a guy’s chucking up 17 shots a game, it’s hard not to score at least 19 points per. Durant is barely shooting 40 percent, but he wins the Rookie of the Year because no one else put up much of a fight.
COY (Coach of the Year): Nate McMillan, Blazers
Without the first overall pick in the draft, without their best player from last year (statistically), and without a whole lot of big off-season additions, the Blazers have gone from the bottom of the barrel to, I suppose, the top of the barrel. The Blazers might end up winning their division, so McMillan must be doing something right.
MVP (If you don’t know what MVP means...): Kobe Bryant, Lakers
On a Laker team that wasn’t supposed to be all that good this year, Kobe and the Lakers have been all that good. Kobe has never won the MVP award in his career, and it’s time to reward arguably the NBA’s best player, even if he is a dic...ted to winning games.
Biggest surprise: Portland Trailblazers
See the Coach of the Year award above. See it...
Biggest disappointment: Greg Oden, Blazers
His averages are zero points per game, zero rebounds per game, and zero blocks per game. WTF, it’s like he isn’t even playing. Oh, right, the injury.
Onto the East:
ROY: Al Horford, Hawks
Sorry Yi, but Horford is nearly averaging a double-double per game, plays great defense, and is, to be blunt, better right now. He’s helped the Hawks to a record that’s only slightly under .500, as opposed to the usual, slightly below .200.
COY: Stan Van Gundy, Magic
It’s easy to coach a team to first place in the division when you have a guy like Dwight Howard, but give Stan Van some credit for the Magic’s success so far. It’s only a matter of time before Pat Riley comes to Orlando to steal Van Gundy’s job in time for a playoff run. You know, because he did that with the Heat.
MVP: Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Like the Blazers, the Celtics went from one of the worst to first, only it’s no surprise why in Boston. After acquiring KG and Ray Allen in the off-season, the Celtics are positioning themselves for a trip to the Finals. It’s a good thing, too. The sports teams in Boston would be pretty bad otherwise.
Biggest surprise: New York Knicks
They’ve won more than 10 games!
Biggest disappointment: Miami Heat
They haven’t won more than 10 games. Excrement is hitting the fans at American Airlines Arena, possibly because of the Moons over Miami. Think that last sentence was inappropriate, childish, and unfunny? Try watching a Heat game.
Most likely to lose current playoff spot and open the door for the Bucks to sneak in: Atlanta
If not Atlanta, than Indiana. Or New Jersey if they’re up there still. Or any other team, please.
That does it for the 51st annual UWM Post NBA Mid-Season Awards. Enjoy the hundreds of meaningful NBA games remaining, including two on Sunday, since there won’t be anything else to watch.
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