Manu20
04-22-2005, 09:51 PM
http://www.nba.com/blog/blog30.html
You asked for them, you got 'em .. I am proud to present the first annual Pip Awards, my choices for the various NBA Awards that are issued throughout the playoffs ... The envelope, please ....
NBA MVP
And the winner is .. Shaquille O'Neal. He's simply the Most Valuable Player in the game. He transcends the game. He's such a difficult player to defend and he keeps you trying to figure things out about him as a player. This isn't a guy who's been in the league for three years. He has been a dominant player for more than a decade and he cannot be stopped. Period. He's come in to Miami and made the Heat one of the top five most popular teams in the game. I can't take any skin off guys like Dwyane Wade and Eddie Jones. They have some other great players on their team but Shaq has the city buzzing and excited. They feel a championship and this is a city that has won a couple World Series with the Marlins. It's an exciting time for them and there's no comparison when you talk about what Shaq has been able to do in this game.
If I was to say that there was anyone else who's deserving of it, it would probably be Dwyane Wade. I like how his game has expanded. I would throw Steve Nash into the discussion as well, but a guy who plays on offense and doesn't have an impact on the other end of the court doesn't really turn me on. I know people have said things about him and I like his tenacity. But I wouldn't even say he was my third pick. If he played a different style of game, like John Stockton, at the other end of the court, then, yeah, he's probably my pick. But you're talking about a guy who doesn't even make an impact to any degree on the defensive end of the court. Now you wanna say he's the most valuable player? What is it about him that shows that he's valuable on the other end of the court? I would look at Amaré Stoudemire before I look at Nash, to be honest. Not taking anything away from Nash, but if I take Stoudemire out of that mix on that team, I think that's where they really fall off. Steve Nash can get you wins, but he's not going to get you there. I would throw Tim Duncan into the mix as well. He's a very valuable piece to this league, the game and his team. When you talk about a valuable player, he's definitely at the top along with Shaq. But there can only be one winner. Give it to the Diesel.
NBA Coach of the Year
And the winner .. Scott Skiles. I'm a little biased because I've been able to watch Chicago all season long along with Skiles and I have a good understanding of how this team has transformed itself. I was in the mix when the Bulls were losing and couldn't win 20 games. Yes, I still feel like I'm a part of that team even though I'm not physically there. The Nuggets are a new team under George Karl and he deserves a lot of credit for putting them back on track. He's proven he's a great coach. But don't forget, the Nuggets played well last season and made the playoffs. Skiles deserves the award. Has any team started from a lower place on the ladder than the Bulls before the season started and achieve success 82 games later? Plus, don't forget, the Bulls started out 0-9. Skiles has them playing defense and playing hard all season and they are a true team in every sense of the word.
NBA Rookie of the Year
And the winner is .. It's a tie! Co-Rookies of the Year: Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor. I know, I know. You're a little surprised. Probably even shocked. After all, a few weeks ago I was pushing that Ben should win the award out right. But after watching Emeka play some more and comparing the stats, which are very similar, I've come to the conclusion that they're both doing great things for their teams. They're both having very exciting years. I don't want to take anything from either one of them. They're both very deserving in my eyes. They've pushed themselves to the limit and they've proven they can play at this level. More so, they've told their teams, "This is the player I'm gonna be and you can build around me because this is what you're gonna get from me every night." They did it for 82 games and that's an amazing feat for a rookie.
Most Improved Player
And the winner is .. Amaré Stoudemire. Even though he's made a tremendous leap this year, this isn't an award for LeBron James. He won Rookie of the Year last year and he's already proven he's a great player. You can't come back and prove you're the most improved after that. He's just the best in his class. I like Kirk Hinrich of the Bulls as a candidate for Most Improved. He's been tremendous. I like Tayshaun Prince, but he's on a really good team, a real good team. But Amaré Stoudemire would probably be my pick for Most Improved Player. He has made such strides in his game and I believe he's the total key to the Phoenix Suns. He obviously has the ability to go to the basket and finish as big and as dominant as any player in the game, but he's also developed a jump shot in his third year in the league. That is not normal for a kid coming out of high school.
Defensive Player of the Year
And the winner is .. Allen Iverson. With the way the game's being called now, I don't see a lot of defense in the league. They don't physically give you a chance to challenge a guy. The way I played Magic in the '91 Finals, you'll never see that again. That was fun. It was entertainment. The Rules Committee has taken all that out of that game and they're promoting scoring. It's hard to find a defensive player in the game. A lot of people mention Bruce Bowen as a candidate, but he's not a defensive player and he's never been a defensive player. He's got a seven-footer behind him who can block shots. What's his defense? Run you at the seven-footer? You put a seven-footer like Tim Duncan behind me, who's gonna get defensive player of the year, me or Tim Duncan? The deal with Bowen is he's 6-7 and there's not many people who can shoot over a 6-7 person. He never received the Defensive Player of the Year Award when he played in Miami, did he? Allen Iverson gets my vote because of his ability to steal the basketball. He's expends so much energy on the offensive end, carrying the load for the Sixers while leading the league in scoring yet he also brings it on the defensive end. Judging on how the game is being played, he's done an amazing job.
Executive of the Year
And the winner is ... John Paxson, Chicago Bulls. In the short amount of time he's been in Chicago, there isn't any doubt that John has made all of the right moves, including getting rid of my old behind. Unfortunately, right when you're seeing this team really start to take off, the injury bug bit hits them. That just comes from being young and not physically strong, growing pains, really. Sometimes it hits your hard, sometimes it hits you subtle, just enough to wake you up. But I think John Paxson has done a tremendous job and really cleaned up the whole image of the team. He's gotten guys that come from winning organizations and desires nothing but to be the best. Thanks to his moves, not only is the present bright but so is the future.
Sixth Man of the Year
And the winner is ... Ben Gordon. Ben is a big part of the reason why the Bulls are where they are and heading into the playoffs. He's a rookie and he's coming in during situations that he's not familiar with yet responds and lights a spark under the team with his scoring ability. His ability to score when the game in on the line in the fourth quarter has been particularly impressive. Ricky Davis is another strong candidate, but he's been playing off and on the bench his whole career. He should be adjusted to different situations to understand them. I'm not sure if Boston would be affected if they didn't have Davis coming off the bench. They're still going to be OK without him. Whereas if the Bulls don't have Gordon, they're going to be back where they were a year ago. I'm a Chicago Bulls fan and he's made such an impact and he's gotten a lot of fans to jump back on the Bulls bandwagon. That's the type of Sixth Man of the Year impact he's been able to bring. This kid is so good in this role he may play off the bench for the rest of his career.
Posted by Scottie Pippen - Apr 22 2005 2:06PM
You asked for them, you got 'em .. I am proud to present the first annual Pip Awards, my choices for the various NBA Awards that are issued throughout the playoffs ... The envelope, please ....
NBA MVP
And the winner is .. Shaquille O'Neal. He's simply the Most Valuable Player in the game. He transcends the game. He's such a difficult player to defend and he keeps you trying to figure things out about him as a player. This isn't a guy who's been in the league for three years. He has been a dominant player for more than a decade and he cannot be stopped. Period. He's come in to Miami and made the Heat one of the top five most popular teams in the game. I can't take any skin off guys like Dwyane Wade and Eddie Jones. They have some other great players on their team but Shaq has the city buzzing and excited. They feel a championship and this is a city that has won a couple World Series with the Marlins. It's an exciting time for them and there's no comparison when you talk about what Shaq has been able to do in this game.
If I was to say that there was anyone else who's deserving of it, it would probably be Dwyane Wade. I like how his game has expanded. I would throw Steve Nash into the discussion as well, but a guy who plays on offense and doesn't have an impact on the other end of the court doesn't really turn me on. I know people have said things about him and I like his tenacity. But I wouldn't even say he was my third pick. If he played a different style of game, like John Stockton, at the other end of the court, then, yeah, he's probably my pick. But you're talking about a guy who doesn't even make an impact to any degree on the defensive end of the court. Now you wanna say he's the most valuable player? What is it about him that shows that he's valuable on the other end of the court? I would look at Amaré Stoudemire before I look at Nash, to be honest. Not taking anything away from Nash, but if I take Stoudemire out of that mix on that team, I think that's where they really fall off. Steve Nash can get you wins, but he's not going to get you there. I would throw Tim Duncan into the mix as well. He's a very valuable piece to this league, the game and his team. When you talk about a valuable player, he's definitely at the top along with Shaq. But there can only be one winner. Give it to the Diesel.
NBA Coach of the Year
And the winner .. Scott Skiles. I'm a little biased because I've been able to watch Chicago all season long along with Skiles and I have a good understanding of how this team has transformed itself. I was in the mix when the Bulls were losing and couldn't win 20 games. Yes, I still feel like I'm a part of that team even though I'm not physically there. The Nuggets are a new team under George Karl and he deserves a lot of credit for putting them back on track. He's proven he's a great coach. But don't forget, the Nuggets played well last season and made the playoffs. Skiles deserves the award. Has any team started from a lower place on the ladder than the Bulls before the season started and achieve success 82 games later? Plus, don't forget, the Bulls started out 0-9. Skiles has them playing defense and playing hard all season and they are a true team in every sense of the word.
NBA Rookie of the Year
And the winner is .. It's a tie! Co-Rookies of the Year: Ben Gordon and Emeka Okafor. I know, I know. You're a little surprised. Probably even shocked. After all, a few weeks ago I was pushing that Ben should win the award out right. But after watching Emeka play some more and comparing the stats, which are very similar, I've come to the conclusion that they're both doing great things for their teams. They're both having very exciting years. I don't want to take anything from either one of them. They're both very deserving in my eyes. They've pushed themselves to the limit and they've proven they can play at this level. More so, they've told their teams, "This is the player I'm gonna be and you can build around me because this is what you're gonna get from me every night." They did it for 82 games and that's an amazing feat for a rookie.
Most Improved Player
And the winner is .. Amaré Stoudemire. Even though he's made a tremendous leap this year, this isn't an award for LeBron James. He won Rookie of the Year last year and he's already proven he's a great player. You can't come back and prove you're the most improved after that. He's just the best in his class. I like Kirk Hinrich of the Bulls as a candidate for Most Improved. He's been tremendous. I like Tayshaun Prince, but he's on a really good team, a real good team. But Amaré Stoudemire would probably be my pick for Most Improved Player. He has made such strides in his game and I believe he's the total key to the Phoenix Suns. He obviously has the ability to go to the basket and finish as big and as dominant as any player in the game, but he's also developed a jump shot in his third year in the league. That is not normal for a kid coming out of high school.
Defensive Player of the Year
And the winner is .. Allen Iverson. With the way the game's being called now, I don't see a lot of defense in the league. They don't physically give you a chance to challenge a guy. The way I played Magic in the '91 Finals, you'll never see that again. That was fun. It was entertainment. The Rules Committee has taken all that out of that game and they're promoting scoring. It's hard to find a defensive player in the game. A lot of people mention Bruce Bowen as a candidate, but he's not a defensive player and he's never been a defensive player. He's got a seven-footer behind him who can block shots. What's his defense? Run you at the seven-footer? You put a seven-footer like Tim Duncan behind me, who's gonna get defensive player of the year, me or Tim Duncan? The deal with Bowen is he's 6-7 and there's not many people who can shoot over a 6-7 person. He never received the Defensive Player of the Year Award when he played in Miami, did he? Allen Iverson gets my vote because of his ability to steal the basketball. He's expends so much energy on the offensive end, carrying the load for the Sixers while leading the league in scoring yet he also brings it on the defensive end. Judging on how the game is being played, he's done an amazing job.
Executive of the Year
And the winner is ... John Paxson, Chicago Bulls. In the short amount of time he's been in Chicago, there isn't any doubt that John has made all of the right moves, including getting rid of my old behind. Unfortunately, right when you're seeing this team really start to take off, the injury bug bit hits them. That just comes from being young and not physically strong, growing pains, really. Sometimes it hits your hard, sometimes it hits you subtle, just enough to wake you up. But I think John Paxson has done a tremendous job and really cleaned up the whole image of the team. He's gotten guys that come from winning organizations and desires nothing but to be the best. Thanks to his moves, not only is the present bright but so is the future.
Sixth Man of the Year
And the winner is ... Ben Gordon. Ben is a big part of the reason why the Bulls are where they are and heading into the playoffs. He's a rookie and he's coming in during situations that he's not familiar with yet responds and lights a spark under the team with his scoring ability. His ability to score when the game in on the line in the fourth quarter has been particularly impressive. Ricky Davis is another strong candidate, but he's been playing off and on the bench his whole career. He should be adjusted to different situations to understand them. I'm not sure if Boston would be affected if they didn't have Davis coming off the bench. They're still going to be OK without him. Whereas if the Bulls don't have Gordon, they're going to be back where they were a year ago. I'm a Chicago Bulls fan and he's made such an impact and he's gotten a lot of fans to jump back on the Bulls bandwagon. That's the type of Sixth Man of the Year impact he's been able to bring. This kid is so good in this role he may play off the bench for the rest of his career.
Posted by Scottie Pippen - Apr 22 2005 2:06PM