First, let me start off with the Rookie of the Year Award. This latest draft had 17 Guards drafted in the First Round, so it shouldn't surprise anyone that the best players from this Draft are Point/Shooting Guards.
My Top 5 candidates are:
Tyreke Evans
Drafted: 1st Round (4th pick) by the Sacramento KingsPoint Guard, Shooting Guard
Stephen Curry
Drafted: 1st Round (7th pick) by the Golden State WarriorsPoint Guard
Darren Collison
Drafted: 1st Round (21st pick) by the Sacramento KingsPoint Guard
Brandon Jennings
Drafted: 1st Round (10th pick) by the Milwaukee BucksPoint Guard
Jonny Flynn
Drafted: 1st Round (5th pick) by the Minnesota TimberwolvesPoint Guard
I'm going with Tyreke Evans on this one, and I didn't even have to think twice about it. He's having a phenomenal Rookie season averaging 20 PPG (Points Per Game), 5.5 APG (Assists), and 5.0 RPG (Rebounds). He's on his way to become the fourth ever Rookie to do so, joining Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. That alone should tell you something. Evans has also won the NBA All-Star Rookie Challenge MVP last month. This past Wednesday, he had his first career Triple Double against the Toronto Raptors, and he's also hit two Game Winners this Season, which is impressive for a Rookie.
Next up is the Sixth Man of the Year award, and here are my Top 5 candidates:
J.R. Smith
Shooting Guard
Manu Ginobili
Shooting Guard
Jason Terry
Shooting Guard
Jamal Crawford
Shooting Guard
Lamar Odom
Forward
This wasn't an easy pick at all, but I'll have to go with Atlanta Hawks' Jamal Crawford. In his first year with Atlanta, Crawford is coming off the bench to provide scoring, and he's done a good job doing so. He's averaging 17.5 PPG, and he's been great in crunch time hitting big shots to put his team in a position to win. Below is an example of that:
Next is the Most Improved Player award, I had a hard time picking my Top 5, and leaving out other deserving players, but here are the Top candidates:
Russell Westbrook
Point Guard
Carl Landry
Power Forward
Chris Kaman
Center
Corey Brewer
Guard-Forward
Aaron Brooks
Point Guard
As much I want to say Westbrook, I'll have to pick Aaron Brooks. When Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady were expected to miss a part, if not the full season, people predicted the Houston Rockets would be the worst team in the league. However, that isn't the case. Aaron Brooks has stepped up and led them to a 32-31 record, averaging 19.8 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 2.0 RPG.
And now, the most important Award of all, Most Valuable Player, and here are my Top 5:
Kobe Bryant
Shooting Guard
Steve Nash
Point Guard
Carmelo Anthony
Small Forward
LeBron James
Small Forward
Kevin Durant
Small Forward
At the beginning of the Season, it seemed like Carmelo Anthony was a safe bet for MVP. But then he struggled with injuries, as Kobe Bryant took over. He was on the Top of the Race, but not for long, because he had to deal with injuries as well. Players like Steve Nash and Kevin Durant were performing great, but not enough to compete with LeBron James. Jame has been carrying his team, Cleveland Cavaliers, to the best record in the League (50-15), while averaging 30 PPG, 8.5 APG, and 7.2 RPG. Players like Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Chris Bosh, Chauncey Billups, Dirk Nowitzki deserve honorable mentions, but the 2009-2010 MVP remains LeBron James.
I hope you enjoyed reading this Blog, and feel free to leave your own predictions.
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