My NBA Season Awards

My NBA Season Awards

The votes are in! Oh, sorry. My mind is made up and so here are my votes for the regular season awardees of this past NBA season.

MVP – Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)

Is there anyone else?

Rookie of the Year – Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers)

Who would have thought that after missing out his entire “rookie” season due to an injury he’d play like this? No loss of power in his surgically-repaired knee as he was dunk champ. He still makes my rookie list just as David Robinson did all those years ago (he missed a couple of years because he was fulfilling his military tour of duty). But Griffin – he energized the hard luck Clippers and was an awesome player in and around the basket.

Defensive Player of the Year – Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)

Forget the technical fouls of which he has 18 for the year. Six times he was named as Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Will finish once more in the Top 10 in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots, and field goal percentage. Speaking of six, in the last six seasons, he’s recorded at least 1,000 rebounds and 100 blocked shots. One more he will tie Moses Malone. And someone did break a Moses record (see below).

Most Improved Player of the Year – Kevin Love (Minnesota Timberwolves)

IMHO, Love picked up loads of confidence while playing for the US National Team during the FIBA Championships. And he continued that stellar play of his during the 2010-11 NBA season where he broke Moses Malone’s streak of 51 consecutive double-doubles.

Sixth Man of the Year – Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers)

The subject of trade rumors. I wonder why when he’s been solid for this team. And as a super sub, he has great numbers this year.

Coach of the Year – Tom Thibodeau (Chicago Bulls)

I long resigned myself to the Bulls being a middling team. Sort of the one they had years ago where they went to the playoffs and died. But Tibbs just turned them around and got them to play defense. They have to games to play to get to 62 wins. If they do, that ties Paul Wetsphal’s rookie season on the bench with Phoenix.

All-NBA First Five

Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)

Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic)

LeBron James (Miami Heat)

Dirk Nowitski (Dallas Mavericks)

Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)