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by: Joshua Silcox
The game is basketball, the league is the NBA, and we have reached the midway point in the 2006-2007 regular season. It was only six months ago that 29 other teams and their fans watched what was arguably one of the most exciting NBA Finals in history as Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat came back from the dead to snatch the trophy away from the Dallas Mavericks. The end of last year’s regular season and the fireworks that were the 2006 NBA playoffs proved to be a huge step forward for the league as ratings and revenue across the country soared to new all-time highs. This season has already proven to be more exciting than last year’s and with good reason. Storylines like the emergence of Gilbert “Agent Zero” Arenas, Steve Nash and his run for a third straight MVP award, and the emergence of the monster that is known as the Western Conference, are making the NBA even more exciting to watch than last year. Without further ado, I present to you my 2006-2007 NBA mid-season awards.
Most Valuable Player (MVP)
Steve Nash (PG) Phoenix Suns
There are Steve Nash critics and Steve Nash fans and I happen to be neither, but I can not overlook what he has meant to his team so far this season. In addition to his 20 ppg and league-leading 12 apg, Nash’s leadership, heart, and smarts have been a huge reason for the Suns’ 36-9 record. I don’t want to hear about how Steve shouldn’t be awarded the MVP because he hasn’t won a championship yet; furthermore, I really don’t want to hear that he doesn’t deserve it because he has won the ever-so-coveted award the past two years straight. The bottom line is that no one, absolutely no one, is playing on the level that Nash is. This year he is playing better than he did last year, and last year his performance was better than his 2004-2005 campaign, the season in which he was awarded his first MVP trophy. Not only is Steve Nash improving his own game as each day goes by, but he is also making the rest of the Suns’ roster look and play like all-stars.
Honorable Mention: Gilbert Arenas and Kobe Bryant
Rookie of the Year
Brandon Roy (SG) Portland Trailblazers
Let’s face it; the past four years haven’t been so good for the Trailblazers and their fans. On and off the court, problems have plagued the team to such an extent that there was nothing left to do but cut the troublesome players which included big names like Bonsai Wells and Ricky Davis. Into the picture comes Brandon Roy, hailing from the University of Washington, he was arguably the best “NBA ready” player available and Portland was determined to have him. Although he has been sidelined this season for twenty games due to a severe heel injury, Roy has made major contributions including leading this year’s rookie class with his 14.7 ppg.
Honorable Mention: Andrea Bargnani
Sixth Man Award
Leandro Barbosa (SG) Phoenix Suns
As mentioned earlier, Steve Nash has the ability to make everyone around him look and play like an all-star and this includes the Suns’ bench players. Barbosa, who could easily have a starting role as a guard for 80% of the league, is averaging 16.2 ppg while only putting in 30 minutes of playing time per contest. Undoubtedly one of the fastest players in the league, Barbosa has a bright future ahead of him. It is highly unlikely that the Suns will be able to keep the young Brazilian around for too much longer in his current sixth-man role as teams and front offices across the league are finally starting to realize that this kid has the potential to be a full blown superstar.
Honorable Mention: Ben Gordon
Defensive Player Award
Marcus Camby (C) Denver Nuggets
The crafty veteran out of UMass is having a breakthrough offensive season, but it’s his defensive play that has gotten him my mid-season NBA defensive player of the year award. When fellow defensive standout Kenyon Martin went down for the year not 2 weeks into the season, Camby knew he would have to step his defensive game up big time if the Nuggets were going to get anywhere this season and that’s exactly what he did. Leading the league in rebounds (12.3) and blocks (3.0), Camby has exemplified exactly what a center should do on the defensive side of the ball and with the return of Carmello Anthony and the acquisition of Allen Iverson, the Nuggets could be the sleeper team of the Western Conference.
Honorable Mention: Emeka Okafor
Surprise of the First Half
Utah Jazz 29-17
Since Stockton and Malone retired, the Jazz have yet to accomplish anything more than a mediocre season paired with a first round loss in the playoffs. For the past few years, the Jazz have been reloading with young talent from all over the world including Mehmet Okur (17.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg) and the very agile Andre Kirilenko. The Jazz also picked up Carlos Boozer who is having a breakout year both offensively and defensively. The front office of the Utah Jazz must have also been putting in work as they managed to snag a very underrated Deron Williams from the University of Illinois in the late first round of the 2005 draft. Head coach Jerry Sloan has managed to gel all of this young talent into what is now the number one team in the Northwest Division. The Jazz could easily put an end to the season of one of the heavyweights in the West if they get caught snoozing in the first round of the playoffs.
Honorable Mention: The Allen Iverson trade.
Disappointment of the First Half
The Eastern Conference and the Miami Heat (19-25)
Compared to the Western Conference, the teams in the East are nothing more than Busch League. Specifically, the Miami Heat, last year’s NBA Champions, have came out playing flat and unenthused basketball. Although Shaq has played in only 5 games this season, and head coach Pat Riley is M.I.A., I am severely disappointed in the Heat’s play; furthermore, the Eastern Conference as a whole should be ashamed of themselves for not burying the Heat when they had the chance too.
Honorable Mention: Cleveland Cavaliers
Best Team in the West
Phoenix Suns
One can easily make an argument for the Dallas Mavericks, but the team playing the best basketball on a night-in and night-out basis is the Phoenix Suns. With Steve Nash captaining the ship, teams across the country have been exploited for whatever weaknesses they may have. Along with the return of a healthy Amare Stoudemire, the Suns roll deep with the likes of Shawn Marion, Leandro Barbosa, Raja Bell, and veteran Jalen Rose. If anyone can put a stop to the Suns it will not be any team out of the East, but rather the Mavericks, Spurs, Jazz, or Nuggets out of the more superior and complete Western Conference.
Honorable Mention: Dallas Mavericks
Best Team in the East
Detroit Pistons
Yes the Washington Wizards are playing good basketball and yes they do have a better record than the Pistons at the moment, but the Wizards and their god-awful uniforms are not the best team in the Eastern Conference. The only reason that the Wizards are doing as well as they are is because of the emergence of Gilbert Arenas and his un-human like play as of late, but this will not last all season as no player can remain as “on-fire” as Arenas has been over the last month of play. Look for the Wizards to cool off and end up a three or four seed and ultimately end up handing the number one seed over to the Detroit Pistons. With the acquisition of Chris Webber, the Pistons are even deeper and more experienced then ever. By the time the regular season comes to an end, Detroit will be clicking on all cylinders as they cruise their way to the NBA finals.
Honorable Mention: Miami Heat (with the return of a healthy Shaq, an injury-free rest of the regular season for Dwyane Wade, and the return of head coach Pat Riley near the end of the regular season).
Joshua Silcox is a freelance writer and can be reached at JS202403@ohio(dot)edu
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