Last night the lockout-shortened NBA season came to an end. It was a rapid season with teams having to play an enormous amount of games in a short period of time. It's been a strong comeback for the NBA after the nasty labor negotiations last fall. There have been some great individual performances this year and here is where we'll reward them. With all that said, here are my individual awards for the NBA regular season.
Most Valuable Player: LeBron James
Is this really even a question? If it weren't for his arrogant personality and poor showing in the NBA Finals last season, he would be the unanimous decision for the MVP award. Through the first half of the season he was playing as efficient as any player in NBA history. In my opinion he's the most complete player in basketball and the best basketball player in the world. Now if we could just get him to step up in the NBA Finals...
Defensive Player of the Year: Tyson Chandler
Chandler was a key defensive piece for the Knicks all season. One they signed him in the off season I thought it was a great pick up because they needed a defensive presence. Luckily he was my preseason DPOY. As a shot blocker and rebounder he makes things difficult for post players and guards as well. I think he's a slam dunk pick here.
Rookie of the Year: Kyrie Irving
The first pick in the draft more than lived up to the billing. He was the catalyst for the Cavaliers all season long. As a team they didn't have great success, but having a guy like Irving is definitely a step in the right direction. I'm looking forward to seeing how good he can become.
Most Improved Player: Andrew Bynum
Even with all the headaches he gave Mike Brown and the Lakers, he's been their second best player all season long. He's always had the ability, but for some reason he couldn't stay healthy. Now that he was able to stay healthy he played the entire season and made the Western Conference All-Star team as a starter. He's now the building piece for the Lakers for years to come.
Sixth Man of the Year: James Harden
Like the MVP award, this should be another unanimous selection. James Harden can flat out ball. Last postseason he became one of my favorite players in the league because of his game. He can score, but I love the fact that he facilitates as well. True point guard for the Thunder. He creates shots for others around him and is a critical piece for the Thunder going forward.
Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau
Yes, Thibodeau won this award last year, but I actually think he deserves it more this season. To not have last years MVP Derrick Rose for the majority of the season and to still earn the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference is very impressive. The coaching job he's done with the bench has been phenomenal. Will he win it? I'm not sure. All I know is that he deserves it.
All-NBA 1st Team
PG: Tony Parker
SG: Kobe Bryant
SF: LeBron James
PF: Kevin Love
C: Dwight Howard
All-NBA 2nd Team
PG: Chris Paul
SG: Monta Ellis
SF: Kevin Durant
PF: Dirk Nowitzki
C: Andrew Bynum
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