Best Visual Effects (Best player to watch): Blake Griffin
After decades of the running the show in Los Angeles, the Lakers are no longer the only ticket in town. Now when you say Los Angeles basketball, you think the Lakers, Kobe, and Blake Griffin. That’s right, Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers. The first overall pick of 2009 has crashed the scene in Hollywood and has yet to disappoint ticketholders and television watchers around the country. From his monstrous dunks, to his hustle plays, and his countless number of doubles-doubles, Griffin is worth every penny.
Best Foreign Language Film (Best foreign-born player): Pau Gasol
This was perhaps the toughest category to evaluate. But a close fight between Lakers big man Pau Gasol and Spurs swingman Manu Ginobili, finds Gasol on top. What was so tough about? Well, how can you pick against a guy that has led a group of old guys who passed their peak to the best record in the NBA? How can you pass up on a guy who always seems to come through in the clutch when his team needs him? I understand Ginobili has taken the reigns that Tim Duncan has always held, but you can argue that Pau Gasol has been just as valuable to the Lakers as Manu has been to the Spurs. For one, he carried the defending the champs through the first month of the season while Kobe Bryant was recovering from some nagging injuries. Through the first third (21 games) of the season, Gasol averaged 20.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. Though he has cooled down a bit since then, Gasol is still posting better season averages than Ginobili. To further the point, with Ginobili, the Spurs have not been a championship team since 2007. With Gasol for three seasons, the Lakers have been to the Finals each year and won it twice.
Best Editing (Best NBA executive): Otis Smith
Sitting on a mediocre 16-10 record, the 2010-2011 season looked bleak for the Orlando Magic. 16-10 would be a great record for many other teams in the NBA, but it wasn’t going well for a team who reached the Finals just two seasons ago. This was when the team’s general manager, Otis Smith, realized he has to shake-up the situation. On December 18, Smith completed two blockbuster trades with the Phoenix Suns and the Washington Wizards. First, he acquired Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu from the Suns for the aging Vince Carter. These two three-point assassins only added to Orlando’s already lethal long range game. Otis Smith then acquired Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas in exchange for forward Rashard Lewis. This gave Orlando a certified scorer, something they have not had. Since the trade, Orlando has gone 15-8, beating the likes of Boston and Dallas on their way.
Best Director (Best coach): Gregg Popovich
After they were ousted from the 2010 playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs looked like they were going under. With Tim Duncan and Tony Parker past their primes, the championship window appeared to be closing on the Spurs. However, Coach Gregg Popovich has managed to lead his team to a remarkable 40-7 record. It is no secret that the Spurs aren’t the youngest or most talented team in the league, which makes their record that much more impressive. Their only losses have been handed to them by the Hornets (twice), Mavericks, Knicks, Celtics, Clippers, and Magic—all of which are playing good basketball.
Popovich’s finest moment came in the Spurs’ loss to the Knicks. Down by a more than manageable margain with over three minutes left, Popovich pulled Duncan, Parker, and Ginobili from the game. He sacrificed a possible victory to make a firm statement to the starters about allowing a gaudy 128 points. Since that game, San Antonio has gone 11-2 and hasn’t allowed over 105 points in any of those games.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Most valuable bench player): Lamar Odom
Although he has only come off the bench 17 times opposed to being in the starting five 32 times, Odom’s career year needs to be recognized. It isn’t exactly his best statistical season, but it is a season where he is producing the most value for his team.
Despite being the two-time defending champs, the Lakers have gone through periods of disinterest and complacency. Fortunately, Odom is providing a huge boost off of an underperforming bench every game. He has always been a vital piece to the championship puzzle and his performance and reliability have never been more useful to the Lakers. Other than his increased value, no other bench player has produced stats near what Odom has posted. He has averaged 15.4 points, 9.4 rebounds, and most impressively, has shot the ball at a 57% clip. He is extremely effective and very efficient.
Best Actor in a Leading Role (Most valuable player): Derrick Rose
When asked if he is a legitimate candidate for MVP, Derrick Rose responded by simply saying “I think so.” Well I think so too. “Why not give him the MVP?” should be the question here.
For one, his numbers have seen a significant hike compared to his first two seasons. Rose’s improved play has him looking at higher averages in points (24.9), rebounds (5.5), assists (7.2), steals (1.0), and blocks (0.7). He has also improved his three-point shooting, making 37.4% of his long-range shots compared to a career average of just 24.5%.
In addition to improving his numbers, Rose has carried the Chicago Bulls through the devastating injuries of Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. Both Noah and Boozer have missed a combined 41 games. Usually, if a team is missing its second or third most valuable player, they would be struggling to keep afloat in the playoff race. But due to the stellar play of Derrick Rose, the Bulls find themselves comfortably seated in the 3 spot of the Eastern Conference with the record of 33-14. Right now, there is no player that has held more value for any team than D-Rose.
Best Picture (Best team): Boston Celtics
I know the Spurs are 40-7, but I wouldn’t hesitate to pick the Boston Celtics over them in a seven-game series. And although I believe the Lakers are the best team in the NBA, they aren’t playing like it. The Boston Celtics, however, are. At this point in the season, there is no team that has the determination and championship look which the Celtics possess. They lead a top-heavy Eastern Conference with a 36-11 (22-3 at home) record and have come up on the winning side of a number of big games. So far, the C’s have beaten the likes of the Lakers, Spurs, Heat (twice), Magic, and Knicks. They also boast a league-best 15-6 record against teams that are above .500. Right now, Boston’s drive, talent, and experience has them looking like the NBA’s best.
No comments:
Post a Comment