Wednesday marks the end of the 2013-2014 regular season. Thanks for my good friend Matt Moretti, I had the opportunity to watch a number of Dallas, Chicago, Minnesota, Golden State and, regrettably so, Detroit games with his League Pass. Next year, five of us our throwing in for the Sixers, Mavericks, Celtics, Heat and a team to be announced! The NBA gave us fans some really good memories, and the postseason should be as good as it ever has been. So many great match ups in each conference. The NBA is as healthy has it’s been. There’s a number of legitimate Finals’ contenders, and there’s also a few “dark horses”. I’ll have a playoff preview once the seedings are finalized later this week, and my good friends Mike and Aime will join me for a podcast either today or tomorrow to preview the playoffs.
Here’s my NBA award predictions, and one sentence why he’s deserving of that award.
Most Valuable Player: Kevin Durant
Seasons where a player averages at least 30 point, seven rebounds, five assists and shoots 50 percent from the field: Wilt Chamberlain (twice), Michael Jordan and this season’s Kevin Durant.
Most Improved Player: Anthony Davis
He looked good his rookie year, but he looked really, really, really good his sophomore year–I just think he has risen his game the highest within the last year, which is freaking crazy considering he’s 20.
Sixth Man: Taj Gibson
Taj Gibson gets my vote over Jamal Crawford since the Bulls need Gibson more than the Clippers need Crawford.
Defensive Player of the Year: Joakim Noah
Maybe it has to do with Noah being my favorite player, or that he’s the catalyst for the number-two ranked defensive efficiently team.
Coach of the Year: Gregg Popovich
Notice that, despite the best NBA record, no Spur has been given an award yet?
Rookie of the Year: Michael Carter-Williams
Kevin Durant won 20 games his rookie season and Kyrie Irving won 21, the number of wins MCW had shouldn’t take away from his incredible rookie campaign.
First Team All-NBA
G: Chris Paul
Funny how Blake Griffin will most likely appear before Paul on the MVP list, but Paul’s the only Clipper on First Team. (Probably has something to do with the two forwards on the First Team.)
G: James Harden
He’s step his game up majorly since January. 27.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 7 APG while shooting 41.6 percent from three and 88.4 percent from the line since February began.
F: Kevin Durant
See above.
F: LeBron James
Active players to average at least 25 points, six rebounds and six assists a game in a season? LeBron James… 10 times! He’s the only active player to do so.
C: Joakim Noah
Three players to have 850 rebounds, 415 assists, 115 blocks and 95 steals in a season. Kevin Garnett, Sam Lacey and Joakim Noah. Oh, Noah also anchors one of the three best defenses in the League.
Second Team All-NBA
G: Stephen Curry
Could very well be on the First Team, especially since he does not play with another All-Star like Paul and Harden.
G: Tony Parker
Honorary Spur! He’ll probably be voted in as a Third Team guy.
F: Paul George
Never before has there been this big of a drop off for a star player. He’s a borderline Second Team guy, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Love, Nowitzki or Aldridge took his spot.
F: Blake Griffin
Has completely changed the public perception of him as only being a dunker. (Would be a First Team guy if LeBron or Durant played guard).
C: Dwight Howard
Could very well be a First Team guy, but who will vote two Rockets in their First Team? Unless that person picks Harden as a Second Team guy. Harden, though, deserves First Team over Howard.
Third Team All-NBA
G: Kyle Lowry
It doesn’t matter how bad the Eastern Conference is, Kyle Lowry has been magnificent, and the NBA writers should reward him for the biggest All-Star snub.
G: Goran Dragic
John Wall, Russell Westbrook, Monta Ellis, Damian Lillard make great cases, but Dragic had such a great year and deserves this spot.
F: Dirk Nowitzki
He might appear in the top-5 in MVP voting. Incredible what he has done for Dallas this year. The Mavericks has one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA. Dirk can be thanked for that.
F: Kevin Love
Just like the All-Star starters, Love beats out LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge battled injuries, and although he had a great season does not make a team because there’s just so many good players, and I think Kevin Love would trade being on an All-NBA team for a chance to play in the postseason.
C: Al Jefferson
Jefferson’s team would not be in the playoffs if Charlotte was in Nevada, but it isn’t and Jefferson had a phenomenal year, so he gets the nod as the third center.
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