NBA Draft Recap

Best Pick (Besides Anthony Davis): Wizards 3rd overall pick, Bradley Beal

Bradley Beal is the real deal. I firmly believe that this young kid (and I can say that because I'm older than him, which is weird) will be an All-Star for years and years in the NBA. Beal is a great shooter with plenty of other assets on both the offensive and defensive end. The biggest of those assets is his phenomenal rebounding ability for his 6'3" frame, averaging 6.7 rpg in his first and only year in college. He already posses NBA range but can also attack the hoop and finish strong against bigger defenders. Beal also comes up big in the most important games, averaging 15.75 ppg and 8.25 rpg, while shooting over 60% from the field during the NCAA Tournament. My favorite thing about this pick, however, is the fact that the Wizards just got someone with a great work ethic that will grow into a leader along side point guard John Wall. For too long Washington has been plagued by immaturity and off the court issues, but drafting such a high character guy with this much talent was the perfect move to turn things around.

Worst Pick: Cavaliers 4th overall pick, Dion Waiters

This isn't so much a reflection on Dion Waiters, but more so the point in which he was taken in the draft. Most people projected Waiters to be a mid-first round pick, making it two years in a row that the Cavs made a reach for a player at the 4th spot in the draft (Tristan Thompson last year). At this point in the draft Cleveland should have drafted Harrison Barnes, who has a more versatile game and would be a better piece to fit with Kyrie Irving to build around. Someone who was only a sixth-man in college that was relied on for instant offense just isn't worth the 4th pick. If Cleveland had their heart set on this guy then they should have traded back at least a few spots and gotten something else out of the deal.

Steal of the 1st round: Phoenix Suns 13th overall pick, Kendall Mashall

Let me preface this by saying that I am a student at the University of Maryland, so I hate UNC with a passion. With that in mind, you know I mean business when I'm giving a Tarheel love. That being said, this is quite possibly my favorite pick of the entire draft. I never understood why Marshall wasn't projected as a higher pick. Yes, he didn't score much in college, but it was more a result of his situation as opposed to a lack of ability. He played with three other first round picks this year (Barnes, Henson, Zeller), so he just had to focus on running the offense and making those guys look even better, which he did masterfully. This type of innate play-making ability is rare to find, especially at this young of an age. He will need to improve his jump shot for sure but shooting is a much more coach-able trait than play-making. This young man will be one of the best distributors in the NBA within the next few years.

Steal of the 2nd Round: Cleveland 34th overall pick (traded to Dallas): Jae Crowder

The Big East Player of the Year was my favorite player in all of college basketball last year. He played with such passion and intensity you just knew he's make it to the NBA and be successful. Most players drafted in the second round either never actually play in the NBA or last a very short time. That will not be the case with Crowder. He'll never be an All-Star, but he will be one of those glue guys on a team that does a little bit of everything that helps the team win. He will be able to contribute to a team much like Kawhi Leonard did for the Spurs this past season.

Biggest Question Mark: Jared Sullinger

Had this young man come out a year ago after his freshman season he undoubtedly would have been a top 5 pick. But one year later, he ends up the 21st pick by the Celtics. This extreme drop was not due to decreased production, but because of conflicting reports about a back condition that could be career threatening. If he can manage his back problems and avoid them hampering his career, then the Celtics just got the biggest steal in the draft. There is a lot yet to be determined but Boston fans are hoping he can have a long successful career as they attempt to rebuild their team.

Biggest Winner on Draft Day: New Orleans Hornets

This is probably obvious seeing as Anthony Davis is the highest rated prospect in years. But in my eyes what makes them the biggest winners, was their second pick at 10th overall, Austin Rivers. I believe Rivers can help this team immediately off the bench, assuming they retain Eric Gordon. Rivers is an instinctive scorer who has the ability to create for others, although he doesn't always make the smartest decisions. He most certainly has some maturing to do, but he has the raw attributes to become an All-Star one day. Being the son of Boston coach Doc Rivers, Austin has a very strong work ethic and will continue to work to become great. If that happens, the Hornets just became a perennial contender in one draft.

What the Hell Are the Sixers Doing?

Let me start with a shout out to my boy Owen Hamill, for he is the reason I am including this section. The Sixers just continue to baffle me on draft nights. This is nothing against Moe Harkless, because he is a talented scorer and rebounder. The problem I have with this pick is that they continue to fill up their roster with small forwards that have very similar skill-sets. Iguodala, Evan Turner, Thadeus Young, and now Harkless all play a similar brand of basketball, which simply doesn't fill a need. With an aging Elton Brand and an inconsistent Spencer Hawes, I would have liked to see the Sixers go for a big man like Tyler Zeller. That being said I'm not going to jump all over them just yet. The front office may have a master plan that involves trading a player or two in order to fill an actual need. But until then, I'm left here scratching my head.

You Already Know What This Article Is About

"It's about damn time." That says it all. These were some of the first words uttered from LeBron after officially being crowned King James. Just take a moment to look at the picture above. This is a picture of pure relief. The Heat have finally broken through and won a Championship in the second year of the Big Three era, giving LeBron his first Championship after nine years in the league. The part that amazes me the most is how James, and the rest of the Heat, did this while being the most scrutinized player/team of all time. And yes I meant to say of ALL TIME. LeBron James was on the cover of SLAM magazine at the age of 16, along with the caption "The Chosen One"...16 years old. From that moment on, it was either greatness or bust for LeBron. Micheal Jordan, the greatest NBA player of all time, came into the league with almost no pressure. The great MJ was cut from his high school basketball team, not celebrated as a prodigy.

When LeBron made it to his first NBA Finals back in 2007 against the Spurs (with a team that had no right making it past the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals), the man was Twenty-three years old. Twenty-three! Yet to this day he still was being chastised for how he played in that series. For his entire career if it didn't result in a ring then it was simply failure. Now I'm not sitting here saying LeBron hasn't deserved any criticism or that he hasn't made any mistakes. He has on both counts. But I'd much prefer it if athletes biggest mistakes were televising free agency decisions and being a little arrogant, as opposed to many the alternatives: dog fighting, DUI manslaughter, rape, etc.

Once LeBron took his talents to South Beach, his teammates also became subjected to all the hate as the Miami Heat were held up to a standard never before seen in sports. The most perfect example I can think of is two images from the past two finals that were essentially the same, but resulted in extremely different reactions. After losing to the Dallas Mavericks last year, while walking back to the locker room, Chris Bosh became overwhelmed by the disappointment and broke down in tears. As a Miami fan I liked that because it showed how much he cared, and more importantly, how motivated he would be to never let that happen again. However, for this show of emotion, he was absolutely torched. People in the media were calling him Bosh Spice (a not so clever comparison to Posh Spice, a member of the Spice Girls). I personally received many texts and comments from people about how one of my favorite players was "such a girl" or a "pansy".

But none of that bothered me, quite frankly. People have their opinion and that's fine. What truly frustrates me is when people are inconsistent with their criticism. And that is where the second image comes in. Last night, while walking to the locker room after the game, Kevin Durant hugged his parents and just started crying. And today? Nothing. No one is hating on Durant. No one is calling him a girl. No one is disrespecting him. This perfectly portrays the pressure and the added difficulty of being a member of the Miami Heat over the last two seasons.

Now, I'd like to point out that this isn't me trying to complain about how the Heat have been treated. I hate teams for various reasons and have no problems with others doing the same thing. Plus I'm a Steelers fan at the University of Maryland, so I'm no stranger to having my favorite team hated on. I simply want to point out what the Heat have overcome to become Champions so all of us fans can truly appreciate the greatness that we saw this season.

But I digress.

Now onto the main purpose of the article I intended to write, which is a to provide a review of the Finals and give my opinion on why it turned out the way it did. And for those of you still reading (thank you), I will keep it brief.

The biggest weakness going into this series for the Heat was their lack of a supporting cast surrounding the Big Three. Seemingly out of nowhere, this was no longer the case. Shane Battier scored 17 points in each of the first two games of the series. Then Mario Chalmers decided to have one of the best games of his career in the critical Game 4 victory, scoring 25 points. To finish off the Thunder, Mike Miller went off for 23 points in Game 5, hitting 7 of 8 three-pointers. This all happened while OKC seemed to be missing a member of their "Big Three", as Harden scored under 13 points per game on less than 38% shooting.

I'm not going to sit here and blame the 22 year old Harden though. In fact, I won't blame a single member of the Thunder. The Heat were just a better, more desperate, and more experienced team that could not be stopped. Over the past two years I have watched at least a hundred Heat games, and never had I seen them play the way the did in Games 2-5. Everyone was moving without the ball. There were almost no isolation plays. LeBron was posting up or attacking the basket, settling for far fewer jumpers. Bosh was constantly fighting for offensive rebounds. Wade lived off backdoor cuts and constant motion as opposed to the isolation heavy offense that he's used to. With the way the Heat played there was not a team in the NBA that could have hoped to stop them.

The one thing I will be critical of the Thunder for is their defense on LeBron James. They continued to put smaller guys like Sefolosha and Harden on LeBron, and he just continued to overpower them and take them to the hoop. The only type of defense that has historically given James trouble is length, which is exactly what Kevin Durant has. I understand that you want to stay out of foul trouble, but Durant should have manned up on James to try to throw off his rhythm. That being said, I don't believe it would have really changed the outcome of the series. LeBron and the Heat were going to find a way to win no matter what, and they did just that.

I look forward to what I believe will become one of the most historic rivalries of all time between the Thunder and the Heat in the upcoming years.

Let us finish with a moment of silence mourning the fact that this will be my final article about the Miami Heat for a while.....and now you can celebrate.

NBA Finals Prediction

I am going to get this out of the way for those of you who are simply reading this to find out my prediction: Miami Heat in 7 games. Now let the angry comments explaining why I am a biased fool commence. But for those of you patient enough to stay with me for a few minutes just hear me out. From the start of this abbreviated NBA season I have predicted a Finals match-up between the Miami Heat and OKC Thunder; however, I never imagined that OKC would make this decision so difficult. I have gone back and forth so many times that I wouldn't be surprised if later in this article I decide to go with the Thunder in 6 games, so be sure to pay close attention should you decide to continue reading.


This is such a difficult match-up to call that I even had trouble deciding how to go about writing this article. At first I thought I could do a position by position match-up analysis, discussing which team holds the advantage at each position. After playing that scenario through my head I realized that it would be a completely moot point. When analyzing on-the-court talent it is a complete wash between these two teams. OKC is certainly the more complete team, but the Heat have arguably 3 of the top 4 players in the series. With that in mind I am going to use this article to discuss the one thing that the Heat have that the Thunder lack: a true chip on their shoulder.


Let's just be honest for a moment. The Heat have absolutely everything to lose, where as the Thunder have nothing to lose. OKC has essentially been deemed the "golden child" of the NBA. They are a team that was built "the right way", and has possibly the most likable and humble of all superstars in the NBA, Kevin Durant. This is in no way a bad thing, however, historically it is the teams that have a chip on their shoulder that generally win championships. Last year, the Mavericks were essentially ruled out in the first round against Portland, and Dirk Nowitzki was labeled as soft and horrible in the clutch. After being disrespected time and time again, Dirk and his teammates shed their labels and went on to win the Championship.


The Lakers won the two prior Championships behind the leadership of Kobe Bryant, who as we all know, plays with a chip on his shoulder even if it's something he needs to fabricate himself. I could go on and on, but my point is, the Thunder just don't really have anything to be angry about. They're one of the most popular teams in the league and have not yet had to experience the feeling of making it to the Finals and then losing. This is not the case for the Miami Heat.


After the infamous "Decision" by LeBron James, in which he took his talents to South Beach, the Heat have become the most hated team in the NBA, lead by the most hated and scrutinized superstar, LeBron James. In all honesty, the intense hatred that is directed at LeBron (which I am reminded of all the time due to the fact that I'm a Heat fan and my friends all know that) makes me sometimes think that he's been caught stealing purses from old ladies. I wouldn't be surprised if a national poll revealed that LeBron is more hated than O.J. Simpson. To compound his problems, the Heat made it to the Finals where he seemingly froze, resulting in a devastating loss. If he fails to win a ring once again, he will face yet another year of critics discussing his shortcomings on what seems like a daily basis, and he knows it.


LeBron isn't the only member of the Heat with something to prove. That loss in the finals affected everyone on that team. The normally cordial and friendly Dwyane Wade came at this NBA season with a vengeance, sporting a mean scowl and the attitude to match it. Essentially, losing is not an option for this team. Their window for success is closing, where as the Thunder know they have plenty of chances to win Championships for years to come. Out of that desperation, I believe the Heat will pull together to overcome their demons and become NBA Champions.


And just as an add-on so I can feel like I did some form of basketball analysis, the Thunder are primarily a jump shooting team, making about 50% of those jump shots in their wins against the Spurs. The Heat are very good at closing out, making jump shots more difficult, leading me to believe the Thunder won't be able to score enough to win four games.

Eastern Conference Finals Preview

The Eastern Conference Finals features the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics, two teams that were pushed to the brink in their respective semi-final series. After losing Chris Bosh to injury in game one against the Pacers, the Heat lost two games in a row and found themselves down 1-2. With their backs against the wall Dwyane Wade and Lebron James took over the series to win three straight games, defeating the Pacers in six games. The Celtics, on the other hand, were pushed to seven games against the eighth seeded 76ers. It wasn't until some unusually impressive shooting by Rajon Rondo in the waning minutes of game seven that the Celtics clinched a win. With those series finished, it is time to take a look at the upcoming match-up:

Celtics X-Factor: Ray Allen

To say that Ray Allen has been struggling during this post-season is a gross understatement. You know the man is in a slump (40.8FG%, 26.9 3P%) when he gets visibly excited about making a three-pointer at a relatively unimportant juncture in the game, keeping in mind he has made more threes than anyone in NBA history. Father Time has finally caught up to Allen at the worst possible time for the Celtics, as they try to make one last push for a championship before the members of the Big 3 probably go their separate ways. His ankles have been an issue and he has played through the pain admirably, but given his less than proficient defense, if he is not knocking down the three then he becomes a liability on the court. Without his normal three point shooting then I don't believe the Celtics have a chance in this series. However, if Allen can get it going from beyond the arc things will go much smoother for Boston offensively.

Heat X-Factor: Udonis Haslem

In all honesty the biggest X-Factor for Miami is when and if Chris Bosh will be able to play. But since that would be pure speculation on my part, I will focus on Udonis Haslem, who has had a mostly disappointing season to this point. He has stepped up his game in the playoffs, however, increasing his field goal percentage by 4%.Until Bosh is able to come back Haslem's ability to knock down the mid-range jumper will be a key for Miami's success. As Wade and James cut and slash to the basket opposing teams crowd the paint, often leaving Haslem wide open. If he does not consistently hit that shot it will make it supremely difficult for Wade and James to finish at the rim. When this happens the Heat often become very stagnant on offense, relying on too much isolation and long jumpers. So the way Haslem plays and makes shots will heavily determine the outcome of this series.

Key Match-up: Kevin Garnett vs. Joel Anthony

Let me start out by saying we all know who is going to win this match-up. Kevin Garnett will get his points and rebounds, and will outplay Joel Anthony in pretty much every statistical category. However, the defensive performance of Anthony will be a key factor in determining who moves on to the NBA Finals. With Allen struggling, Garnett's offensive production has been even more important during this postseason. There is almost a direct link between his efficiency and whether or not the Celtics win. In their eight wins during the playoffs Garnett is averaging 21.3 ppg while shooting 53.5% from the field. In their five losses, he scores only 16 ppg on 45.3% shooting from the field. Anthony will be given the task of trying to slow him down and if he is successful Miami will be in a good position to win. But if not, the Celtics could be moving on to the Finals.

Prediction: Miami Heat in 5 games
The Boston Celtics were pushed to seven games by the younger, more athletic 76ers. The Miami Heat are essentially a better version of the 76ers, seeing as they to love to run in transition, but have two elite scorers in the half-court set. Although I believe the games will be very competitive, I only see the Celtics stealing one game at home in this series. Without Avery Bradley in the line-up it will be primarily up to Ray Allen to guard Dwyane Wade. While Bradley would not have been able to completely stop Wade, he is an elite defender and could have made things much more difficult for Miami's star shooting guard. At the age of 36 Allen's defense is far from elite, which leads me to believe that Wade will continue his prolific scoring to help lead the Heat to victory. It is also worth noting that the primary weakness of Miami is size down low and rebounding, which the Pacers took advantage of in their two wins during the last series. However, Boston lacks the size to exploit this weakness and will therefore be sent home short of reaching their goal of an NBA championship.

Bosh's Injury Will Cause Problems in Miami

As a fan of the Miami Heat my heart absolutely sank when I saw Chris Bosh doubled over in pain on the court yesterday during game one of their series against the Pacers. At this point we do not know the extent of the injury, but he has an abdominal strain that could very well keep him on the bench the remainder of the playoffs. The cause of my sadness is not what you would think, however. The root of my discontent comes from what I perceive as the only two possible outcomes that I see, if Bosh does in fact miss the rest of the postseason.

The first, and honestly preferable outcome, is that the Heat go on to win the Championship. In order for this to happen LeBron and Wade will have to step up their games, or as I like to say, go into beast mode. Obviously it will take more than two guys to win a championship though. The man that will need to step in for Bosh to make an impact is Udonis Haslem, who, up to this point, has had a rather sub par season, shooting only 42% from the field. Now as a Heat fan, this is the ultimate goal, and I would love nothing more than for them to win a Championship. However, it will unfortunately be bitter sweet. If they do go on to win it all without Bosh we will all be subjected to even more talk that completely belittles his role on the team. Many people already claim that Bosh is overrated and that the Heat only have a "Big 2". This is far from the truth and anyone who watches the Heat regularly know this, but thanks to mass media the casual NBA fan thinks Bosh is an expendable member of the team. A Bosh-less Championship would only strengthen the resolve of these people and all of us will have to spend the off-season hearing how Bosh is all hype and should just be traded away.

The second outcome is obviously that the Heat once again fail to win a Championship, which would give Heat "haters" a field day. LeBron James has been nothing short of spectacular this season but given the pressure, that he frankly put on himself ("Not one, not two, not three...), the only thing that matters is whether or not he wins a championship. This criticism is fair, because if you're going to talk that big then you need to back it up. However, I am quite honestly sick of hearing about it on a daily basis on ESPN. I understand that injuries are a part of the game that every team has to deal with, but losing Bosh really is a huge blow. More important than his 18 points and 8 rebounds per game, is the fact that on any given night when James or Wade is struggling, he has the ability to step up and be the guy, as he demonstrated throughout this season. The biggest problem I will have if this happens is that even if LeBron plays out of his mind we will still only hear about how he cannot win big games. He could average a triple-double for the finals, finish every game strong, yet he will still be blamed if the Heat come up short.

As I've already stated, I clearly want the Heat to bring home the Championship this year. I would also like to add that I hope Bosh's injury isn't serious and that he does come back and play an integral role on a Championship team. However, if that does not happen, then one way or another we can expect another off-season of controversy in South Beach.

What We Learned from the First Weekend of the NBA Playoffs

Now that we've seen game one of each playoff series I'm going to analyze the five most important things we can take away from this past weekend:

1. Fitting 66 games in such a condensed period of time was a BAD idea.
The human body is only meant to take so much abuse. This season teams played 66 games over a span of 124 days, which is an average of playing more than every other night. Going into this condensed season everyone thought that older veterans may have trouble making it through the rough schedule, but in reality players of all ages have had a hard time. In the first two games of the postseason we witnessed two players tear their ACLs, ending both of their seasons. Age was not the issue for these two players, seeing as they were the 23 year old reigning  MVP, Derrick Rose, and the 21 year old rookie Iman Shumpert. Rose has been battling various injuries all season resulting in him missing over a third of his team's games. After battling to come back as soon as possible in order to miss the minimum number of games, Rose's body just never had the time to become fully healthy. Shumpert had a relatively healthy season, playing in 59 games this year as a rookie. Yet, on Saturday, his young body finally broke down resulting in this season ending injury while he was simply running down the court. In hindsight it would have been a better idea to either extend the length of the regular season, or cut the number of games down to 48.

2. The Magic have more heart than most of us anticipated.
When it was announced that Dwight Howard would miss the remainder of this season with a herniated disc, the entire basketball world all but wrote off the Magic as destined for an early first round exit from the postseason. However, the Magic came out and made a statement on Saturday, showing a lot of heart in a grind-it-out victory against the Indiana Pacers. The team had stand out performances by Jameer Nelson (17 points and 9 assists) and Jason Richardson (17 points with five 3-pointers). The most impressive performance for them was turned in by Glen 'Big Baby' Davis. Starting for the injured Dwight Howard, Davis logged a team high 40 minutes, scoring 16 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, to go along with 3 blocks. The defensive intensity displayed by the Magic was even more commendable. Despite playing without the three-time Defensive Player of the Year, the Pacers were only able to score 77 points against the stout defense of the Magic. They may have lost their best player but it is clear they will not just roll over.

3. Kevin Durant is ready for the pressure of no longer being an underdog.
The Oklahoma City Thunder spent most of this season as the first seed in the Western Conference only to be passed by the San Antonio Spurs late in the season. Despite being the two seed they are still considered by many to be the favorites to make it out of the West and into the NBA Finals. The first step for the Thunder is to take down the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks, which is no easy task. After Dirk Nowitzki hit two clutch free throws to give the Mavs a 1 point lead with 9 seconds left, the ball was going to Kevin Durant for the last play and everyone knew it. To that point, Durant had been struggling from the field, making only 9 of his first 26 shots. Despite his struggles, he embraced the pressure of taking the last shot and buried it with only 1.5 seconds remaining to give the Thunder the lead and the win. It takes a great player to come up big with the game on the line, and Durant showed the world that he can handle the pressure.

4. Reggie Evans is still in the NBA.
Who knew!? But in all seriousness the Los Angeles Clippers were all but defeated, trailing by 27 points late in the third quarter. Most people probably already had stopped watching this game, and who could blame them. But for those of us who stuck with it, we got to witness one of the greatest comebacks in postseason history as the Clippers won 99-98. Obviously this was a team effort to complete the comeback, but Reggie Evans was the catalyst. He entered the game with a little over a minute left in the third quarter when the team was down by 25 points. He would stay in the remainder of the game, exerting a seemingly infinite amount of energy at both ends of the court. His passion and energy rubbed off on his teammates, affecting the game much farther than his stat line would suggest. The culmination of his effort was a go ahead lay up with under a minute left to take the lead for the first time in the game. The most telling stat was his plus/minus number of +24, showing how his presence on the floor was extremely helpful for his team. Clearly no matter how large the deficit, you can never count out the Clippers.

5. LeBron James is on a mission and will do whatever it takes to win an NBA Championship.
LeBron James sent a message out to the NBA on Saturday that everyone better watch out because he is more focused and determined than he has been his entire career. He played a phenomenal game as the Miami Heat blew out the New York Knicks 100-67. James had 32 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 steals, while shooting 10 of 14 from the field. The efficiency of his performance was extremely impressive, but it was his defense that truly got his message across. Carmelo Anthony came into the playoffs as one of the league's hottest players, scoring 29.8 points per game while shooting 49.5% from the field during the month of April. LeBron had the job of guarding 'Melo for a large portion of the game and did so with sheer excellence. 'Melo was never able to get going, only scoring 11 points while shooting a mere 20% from the field. Now, as a Heat fan, I understand there is a long way to go for them to win it all, and I'm not going to overreact to just one game. But if LeBron continues to play with that same intensity, then the NBA better watch out.

My NBA Regular Season Awards

Rookie of the Year: Kyrie Irving

Stats: 18.6 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.9 rpg, 1.0 spg, 46.5 FG%

They might as well have given this award to Irving back in January because the competition hasn't even been close. His efficiency from the field is part of what sets Irving apart from his fellow rookies as he shoots 46.5% from the field and an outstanding 40.1% from three point range. His stats make him deserving enough, but what's even more impressive is the fact that he is already "the guy" on his team. No other rookie this year has had to put a team on his shoulders like Irving has, especially after the Cavs lost Anderson Varejao back in February. Although his play hasn't resulted in a winning record he provides hope for a team that watched their hope leave for Miami less than two years ago.

2nd place: Kenneth Faried

3rd place: Klay Thompson

 Most Improved Player: Andrew Bynum

Stats: 18.9 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 56.2 FG%

Let me start off by saying that I'm not a big fan of Andrew Bynum, due to what I perceive as a major attitude problem. I spent a long time looking for someone else I could give this award to. Unfortunately for me I was unable to find someone more deserving than Bynum. One of his biggest improvements has simply been the fact that he finally stayed healthy for an entire season. But if you actually watch him play you can see that his statistical improvements are the result of much more than simply getting to play more. He has exhibited more skill in the low post as well as a greater defensive prowess, especially on the pick and roll. This improvement has resulted in an increase in rebounds per game and points per game of 2.5 and 7.6 respectively. By transforming himself from a perennially injured non-factor to the second option in the Lakers offense Bynum has earned himself this award.

2nd place: James Harden

3rd place: Greg Monroe

Coach of the Year: Frank Vogel

This was definitely the toughest award to give out simply because there are so many deserving coaches. Gregg Popovich has handled the Spurs lineup masterfully, dealing with the age of Tim Duncan and the injuries to Manu Ginobili. Tom Thibodeau has the Bulls as the number one seed in the East despite missing the defending MVP Derrick Rose for a large portion of the season. However, I have been extremely impressed with the job Vogel has done with the Indiana Pacers, leading them to the fifth best record in the league and the third seed in the Eastern Conference. The most impressive aspect of what Vogel has done is how he has this team playing together as a unit since the team is devoid of a star. The Pacers are the only team in the league that has all five of its starters averaging double-digit points. They also play well as one cohesive unit on defense, resulting in the 9th best scoring defense in the league. In a league where star players are given all the credit and coaches receive all the blame, Vogel has made the case that a star player isn't necessary to win.

2nd place: Gregg Popovich

3rd place: Tom Thibodeau

Sixth Man of the Year: James Harden

Stats: 16.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 3.7 apg, 48.9 FG% 84.4 FT%

Fear the Beard!!! James Harden is one of the most improved players in the league this year. His scoring has increased 4.7 ppg largely as a result of his increased efficiency from the floor (43.6% last year to 48.9% this year). He has also improved greatly as a play maker, almost doubling his assists per game from 2.1 to 3.7. This improvement has resulted in him being the runaway winner of this award. Harden is the leading scorer among bench players in the NBA and could easily start on at least 25 teams, including his own. However, he not only accepts his role off the bench, but actually embraces it since it is in the best interest of his team. He provides the Oklahoma City Thunder with a scoring punch off the bench and has been a crucial part of the team's success this season.

2nd place: Thaddeus Young

3rd place: Jason Terry

Defensive Player of the Year: Serge Ibaka

This was another tough decision for me. On paper this decision probably makes me look extremely foolish, but hear me out. Yes I acknowledge that Dwight Howard is probably the most dominant defensive force in the league right now and I also concede that he probably will win this award in real life. I have just one problem with that though. If you have watched the Orlando Magic play this year you will notice that in many close games Howard is not on the floor. One must wonder why the best player on the team isn't playing with the game on the line. Unfortunately he is shooting a career low 49.1% from the free throw line which makes him a liability in crunch time. I cannot in good conscience give this award to a player whose defensive skill is often useless when it matters the most. So now on to my recipient of this award, Serge Ibaka or as I like to call him, I-Block-a. This man is a force on the defensive end of the court protecting the rim and blocking shots with reckless abandon. At 3.63 blocks per game he leads the league in blocks by a large margin (JaVale McGee is second with 2.19 per game). Ibaka has the ability to protect the rim like no other player in the league, recording double digit blocks on three separate occasions this season. His defensive intensity and ability to block and alter shots at the rim make him more than deserving of this award.

2nd place: LeBron James

3rd place: Dwight Howard

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James

Stats: 27.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 6.3 apg, 1.9 spg, 53.1 FG%

This has been a two man race almost all year. LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant. Both have had extremely impressive seasons while leading their teams to great records, so there really isn't a wrong choice here. When simply looking at their stats and the records of their teams this is pretty much a wash between the two of them. What gives LeBron the edge in the competition in my eyes is his defensive prowess. Durant has taken great strides on the defensive side of the court this year but there is no competing with arguably the most versatile defender in NBA history. Never before has there been a player who can defend all five positions on the floor as well as LeBron. He often takes on the responsibility of guarding the opposing team's best player in crunch time regardless of his position. Most people complain that LeBron is surrounded by too much talent to win this award but if you have watched the Miami Heat then you know that just isn't true. He leads the team in points, assists, rebounds, and steals, but more importantly he does whatever is required of him on any given night. If the rest of the team is struggling shooting, he'll pour in 40 points. If his teammates are on fire he'll facilitate and pile up the assists. If they're getting torched by an opposing player then he will shut them down on the defensive end. He does whatever it takes to win and that is what makes him the MVP of the league.

2nd place: Kevin Durant

3rd place: Tony Parker