duncan228
04-04-2009, 10:41 PM
NBA Beat: The postseason winners are ... (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/NBA_Beat_The_postseason_winners_are__.html)
Mike Monroe - Express-News
My official ballot for the NBA’s postseason awards landed in my e-mail box a few days ago. While I’ve been weighing the merits of some of these races for weeks, the finality of having to submit the ballot adds an air of urgency to such consideration. I’ve been a voter for 24 years, and I can’t recall a season when some of the choices were more difficult, especially the most prestigious of all the individual awards, most valuable player. We’ll deconstruct that air-tight sprint to the finish next week.
Meanwhile, here is a look at how one official ballot will be filled out, with a caveat: Votes don’t have to be returned until Thursday. Last-minute developments won’t be overlooked — a change or two may be made.
Voters are asked to list their choices, one through three, for each award:
Coach of the year
1. Mike Brown, Cavaliers
2. Rick Adelman, Rockets
3. Stan Van Gundy, Magic
Reasoning: Too often, voters overlook the coach whose team has the league’s best mark, tending to put inordinate weight on adversity. Coaches who have to adjust to the loss of injured players always get extra credit. I think Brown has done a masterful job of optimizing LeBron James’ amazing talents and ingraining him, fully, into a team culture he believes can bring a title to Cleveland.
Rookie of the year
1. Derrick Rose, Bulls
2. O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
3. Nicolas Batum, Trail Blazers
Reasoning: This isn’t as close a race as some would have us believe. Rose already is a bona fide star, and the reason the Bulls are going to make the Eastern Conference playoffs. Inclusion of Batum might be a surprise, but he averages 18 minutes as a starter for a good team, and is the team’s perimeter stopper.
Defensive player of the year
1. Dwight Howard, Magic
2. Chris Andersen, Nuggets
3. LeBron James, Cavaliers
Reasoning: Howard will become the fifth player to lead the league in both rebounding and blocks (since blocks became an official statistic in 1973-74). The others: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ben Wallace. Enough said. Andersen averages 2.4 blocks, second only to Howard, in just 20 minutes per game. James accepted Brown’s challenge to become a better defender and is one of the league’s best at weakside help.
Sixth man award
1. Jason Terry, Mavericks
2. Nate Robinson, Knicks
3. Chris Andersen, Nuggets
Reasoning: Terry is the most productive bench player in the league, and the Mavericks’ record outweighs what Robinson has added to the Knicks as an occasionally explosive game-winner. Andersen gets a spot on my ballot for making the Nuggets’ second team a better defensive unit than their starters. He’s the reason Denver leads the West in field goal-percentage defense.
Most improved player
1. Nene, Nuggets
2. Devin Harris, Nets
3. Paul Millsap, Jazz
Reasoning: This is more a comeback player of the year award than in seasons past, because Nene returned from testicular cancer surgery to have his best season yet. Harris made himself an All-Star as the Nets’ featured scorer. Millsap took advantage of opportunity when Carlos Boozer was injured.
Mike Monroe - Express-News
My official ballot for the NBA’s postseason awards landed in my e-mail box a few days ago. While I’ve been weighing the merits of some of these races for weeks, the finality of having to submit the ballot adds an air of urgency to such consideration. I’ve been a voter for 24 years, and I can’t recall a season when some of the choices were more difficult, especially the most prestigious of all the individual awards, most valuable player. We’ll deconstruct that air-tight sprint to the finish next week.
Meanwhile, here is a look at how one official ballot will be filled out, with a caveat: Votes don’t have to be returned until Thursday. Last-minute developments won’t be overlooked — a change or two may be made.
Voters are asked to list their choices, one through three, for each award:
Coach of the year
1. Mike Brown, Cavaliers
2. Rick Adelman, Rockets
3. Stan Van Gundy, Magic
Reasoning: Too often, voters overlook the coach whose team has the league’s best mark, tending to put inordinate weight on adversity. Coaches who have to adjust to the loss of injured players always get extra credit. I think Brown has done a masterful job of optimizing LeBron James’ amazing talents and ingraining him, fully, into a team culture he believes can bring a title to Cleveland.
Rookie of the year
1. Derrick Rose, Bulls
2. O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
3. Nicolas Batum, Trail Blazers
Reasoning: This isn’t as close a race as some would have us believe. Rose already is a bona fide star, and the reason the Bulls are going to make the Eastern Conference playoffs. Inclusion of Batum might be a surprise, but he averages 18 minutes as a starter for a good team, and is the team’s perimeter stopper.
Defensive player of the year
1. Dwight Howard, Magic
2. Chris Andersen, Nuggets
3. LeBron James, Cavaliers
Reasoning: Howard will become the fifth player to lead the league in both rebounding and blocks (since blocks became an official statistic in 1973-74). The others: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ben Wallace. Enough said. Andersen averages 2.4 blocks, second only to Howard, in just 20 minutes per game. James accepted Brown’s challenge to become a better defender and is one of the league’s best at weakside help.
Sixth man award
1. Jason Terry, Mavericks
2. Nate Robinson, Knicks
3. Chris Andersen, Nuggets
Reasoning: Terry is the most productive bench player in the league, and the Mavericks’ record outweighs what Robinson has added to the Knicks as an occasionally explosive game-winner. Andersen gets a spot on my ballot for making the Nuggets’ second team a better defensive unit than their starters. He’s the reason Denver leads the West in field goal-percentage defense.
Most improved player
1. Nene, Nuggets
2. Devin Harris, Nets
3. Paul Millsap, Jazz
Reasoning: This is more a comeback player of the year award than in seasons past, because Nene returned from testicular cancer surgery to have his best season yet. Harris made himself an All-Star as the Nets’ featured scorer. Millsap took advantage of opportunity when Carlos Boozer was injured.