The season has ended and its time we hand out achievements to our list of the most deserving players in the league. The debate has been going on for months regarding which players should receive the 2013 NBA Performance awards but despite all the hoopla and ranting from all the fans I felt like creating my own list of awardees. You may find several individuals within my list among the front runners to win this years NBA Defensive Player of The Year, Rookie of the Year, 6th Man Of The Year, Most Improved Player, Coach of The Year, and Most Valuable Player awards.
Disclaimer: The sports figures awarded below are solely based on the opinions and analysis performed by Sports Unbiased and do not represent the views of the NBA.
Coach of the Year – Mike Woodson:
Mike Woodson is arguably the best coach for the Knicks since Jeff Van Gundy, however, in order for him to make the transition into becoming one of the elite coaches in the league the Knicks have to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs, none-the-less, he is my pick for the coach of the Year. Woodson has shown the ability to manage the oldest team in the NBA, he has also guided the Knicks to the second best record in the Eastern Conference, not-to-mention the fact that the Knicks have defeated the best teams in the league by considerable margins of victory. As of 4/16/2013 the Knicks are a plus 17 in the win column when compared to the 2011-2012 season and the team is also among the top 5 teams in the league.
6th Man of the Year: Vince Carter
Despite the fact that the Dallas Mavericks won’t make the post season, Vince Carter has been one of the most efficient players for the Mavericks and he is my pick for the NBA 6th man of the year. Who would have thought that such an aging player would outperform most of the younger athletes on the team. For the season Carter has averaged more than 13.0 points per game and has shot over .400 from the arc, keep in mind we’re talking about a guy whose coming off the bench a yet he is surprisingly 3rd on the team in scoring. The Mavericks trailed the Utah Jazz and the L.A. Lakers by only a few games in the win column for the 8th playoff position but I certainly expect to see the Mavericks in the playoffs with Vince Carter in the starting lineup next season.
Most Improved Player: Paul George
I was torn between choosing James Harden ahead of Paul George but we all knew how good James Harden was when he was a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, not many people were keen on the ability of Paul George during the 2011-2012 NBA season. During the 2012-2013 NBA season I was really surprised by Paul George’s maturity and ability to raise his skill level up to NBA All-star status. I was one of those people who wrote the Indiana Pacers out of the playoffs after the loss of Danny Granger due to injury, however, Paul George quickly turned me into a believer after I witnessed his performance in a January 8th win against the Miami Heat where he scored 29 points and drained four 3-point field goals. Paul George has increased his points per game this season by a + 5 and made his first All-star appearance after only two complete seasons in the league.
1 Comment
Jake Richards
April 22, 2013 at 11:17 amDefinitely these men have made an extraordinary contribution which will continue giving that talk. No doubt some excellent players who know what they want and where they want to go. Excellent summary.