NBA All-Star Weekend is coming up and that means we are a little more than halfway through the season. You will see many people have their midseason awards and those will be good too, but many of those are determined by metrics, and who the numbers say are the best in a category. I actually watch the games and these awards are my opinions and slightly my predictions on who will win at the end of the year.
The season is getting more interesting especially now that the trade deadline is over, we will see who is going to step up and make the playoffs and who is going to come up short.
There are a lot of players that are afraid to go in the paint if Rudy Gobert is near the rim, so his numbers may not reflect his impact. If you watch the Utah Jazz play, you will see how much he effects the game and should still be considered Defensive Player of the Year along with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner.
Harrell’s role has increased with the Clippers, his minutes have gone up and so has his production. His energy lifts the Los Angeles Clippers and can help lead them into the playoffs, especially now that the Clippers have traded away Tobias Harris to Philadelphia. Other candidates include Pascal Siakam of the Toronto Raptors and De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings.
Sabonis brings many skills to the table. He is shooting better shots, making better passes and is averaging nearly a double-double off of the bench. Sabonis has been playing well enough to earn himself a spot in the starting lineup and it will be interesting to see how the Pacers move around their line up now that Victor Oladipo is at for the remainder of the season. Lou Williams is always a candidate for the title and I could just as easily make an argument for Derrick Rose.
The Nuggets are full of young talent. There’s Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Will Barton and Gary Harris and they can all play! Even with all of this talent, no one is going to mistake them for the Golden State Warriors. So for them to be the number two seed behind the Warriors in the West is a testament to the coach Mike Malone. Teams like Oklahoma City, Houston and Utah are all looked at as having more talent, yet are behind Denver. Milwaukee’s coach Mike Budenholzer was my only other choice.
I think that everyone knows that Doncic is the Rookie of the Year. Luka Doncic has the talent, the size and he also has the teacher that he would not have on any other team and that is Dirk Nowitzki. I am certain that Dirk has provided the tutelage and shared many secrets that has fast tracked Luka’s success.
Harden has been the story of the NBA so far this season. If people aren’t talking about the scoring streak then it’s his step back, step back three. He led the Rockets to a 12-5 record while point guard Chris Paul was injured and averaged 44 points, eight assists and eight rebounds in that span. Houston has also been without Clint Capela who has been out with a thumb injury and is expected to return after the All Star Break. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), LeBron James (Lakers) and Paul George (Oklahoma City Thunder) are the next leading candidates for the award.
This second half of this season should be full of excitement as fans want to know what will happen next. Will “Boogie” Cousins make the Golden State Warriors separate from the rest of the West? Will the Philadelphia 76ers take over the Eastern Conference after making a deal for Tobias Harris? Which team will win the race to the bottom to draft Zion Williamson? Let’s enjoy the show.
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