Halftime hardware
The halfway point of the NBA season has come and gone, and several themes have been established.
The Detroit Pistons are far and away the best team in the East, and they have the most balanced starting five the league has seen in a long time. The San Antonio Spurs and the Dallas Mavericks are the class of the West and are headed for a frantic finish to win the Southwest Division and the coveted No. 1 seed in the playoffs. (The loser will most likely fall to the fourth seed; because of the league's playoff system, the Mavs and Spurs would probably meet in the second round, too.)
Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and LeBron James have all put up ridiculous numbers offensively, and they could become the first trio to average more than 30 points each since George Gervin (32.3), Moses Malone (31.1) and Adrian Dantley (30.3) in 1982.
The two most intriguing teams during the second half will be the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat.
The Suns will likely get Amare Stoudemire back in March, and they hope he can elevate them to a championship. The Heat, meanwhile, hope to round into form after a lackluster first half of the season. With Shaquille O'Neal working himself into better shape and its new additions getting more comfortable together, Miami certainly has a chance to make some noise in the East.
Shaq has always looked at the season as a marathon, attempting to peak at the right time. He knows that it's not what you do in December, but what you do in May and June that counts. But up until February, he and the rest of the NBA are looking up at Detroit.
Here are my awards for the season's first half:
Most Valuable Player
Kobe Bryant – I expect to receive plenty of flak for this one. Most people believe that the award should go to a player on a team having a great season, and normally I would agree. But Bryant has played so well this season – and been so utterly unguardable – that I have to give him the nod over Chauncey Billups, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James. Kobe is putting up numbers that rival the greatest players in league history, and he has put the Los Angeles Lakers into solid playoff territory.
Coach of the Year
Flip Saunders – This was the perfect storm: A deep, talented team motivated by barely missing out on a championship last season (and the untimely exit of their hard-driving coach) meets up with a more laidback leader with a love for offensive basketball. Saunders has been the perfect man to guide the Pistons, and he has Detroit running away from the rest of the league. Saunders edges out Phoenix's Mike D'Antoni, who won the award last year but is doing an even better job this season. His offensive innovation is making stars out of a roster full of Suns.
Rookie of the First Half
Chris Paul – This is the easiest pick of all. Paul has been terrific with the New Orleans Hornets. After Nash and Billups, is there a point guard in the NBA you'd rather have to build a team around for the future? Paul combines blazing speed, tremendous skills and basketball savvy with a wonderful demeanor and confidence on the floor. And he plays like a point guard should – he makes his teammates better. Honorable mention goes to Andrew Bogut (who has been great as a passer and rebounder for the Milwaukee Bucks), Charlie Villanueva (who has played very well with the Toronto Raptors) and Deron Williams (the Utah Jazz's point guard of the future).
Defensive Player of the First Half
Bruce Bowen – It's time Bowen won this award, isn't it? His tenacious perimeter defense has frustrated opposing players for years, and it is a key to the Spurs' defensive system. His job is to funnel his man to the baseline and into the waiting arms of Tim Duncan and company. Bowen does much more than that. He is like a shutdown cornerback in football who takes one side of the field away. If you are trying to slow down a hot perimeter player, there is no better choice for a defender than Bowen.
Sixth Man Award
Maurice Williams – What an explosive player Williams has become. He can play either guard spot, which makes him valuable off the bench, and he not only hits shots but he also hits big ones. Williams has won several games for the Milwaukee Bucks this season with his perimeter shooting. He is also quick and strong enough to get to the rim. Williams gets the nod over Jerry Stackhouse, who missed too much of the season early on for Dallas, and Devin Harris, who gives Mavericks coach Avery Johnson a new dimension by pressuring the ball and pushing it in transition.
Most Improved Player
Boris Diaw – The Suns picked him up off the Atlanta Hawks' scrapheap as part of the Joe Johnson sign-and-trade, and he has become one of the most versatile players in the league. Diaw was uncomfortable as a guard in Atlanta's conventional offense, but he has thrived as a power forward in D'Antoni's small-ball lineup. Diaw's ballhandling and playmaking skills have made him a difficult matchup for opposing fowards, and he is an integral reason for Phoenix's remarkable record without Amare Stoudemire.
Dean's List
Detroit, Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio and L.A. Clippers – The Pistons may not win 70 games, but they have dominated the league this season. The Spurs and Mavs are rolling along and will battle it out for the Southwest Division title, while the Clips and Suns are neck and neck in the Pacific. These have been the five best teams in the league so far.
Dunce's List
Houston, Sacramento and Indiana – Some things you can control, some things you can't. Injuries have derailed all three of these clubs, each of whom had high expectations entering the season. The Rockets hope to keep Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady healthy for a late playoff push. The Kings' postseason hopes are dim, but they'll focus on Ron Artest's progress down the stretch and try to get healthy themselves. And the Pacers will be without Jermaine O'Neal for much of the rest of the regular season. His loss, along with the Artest drama, has made Indiana a major disappointment. Dishonorable mention to the Knicks, who have one of the worst records in the NBA despite a huge payroll and a legendary coach.
