Now that we're slightly past the halfway point of the NBA season, I've been jonesing to pull a Marc Stein and hand out my midseason awards and analysis. The season has already featured more breakout stars, controversy and standard NBA comedy than the past few years combined. I mean, not since Latrell Sprewell tried to end P.J. Carlesimo's life has the league come down on a player as hard as it has on Ron Artest. Here are my personal highlights and awards.
Midseason M.V.P.: I can see the merit in giving this award to LeBron James. His improvement from last year to this year is so significant that he is now unquestionably the best living professional basketball player. "Making your teammates better" is cliché, but making Zydrunas Ilgauskas look like an all-star center is worth setting aside a few hours to catch this miracle in the act. However, this award belongs to Steve Nash. I refuse to succumb to the argument that his defensive inefficiencies preclude him from winning the award. The fact is he's the most integral part of one of the top franchises in the league. When he sat out with an injury for a few games, the Suns looked like my suitemates playing pickup at the OMAC, minus the periodic spells of cardiac arrest and severe panting. No one has been more valuable to his team than Nash.
Comedic Moment: Qyntel Woods getting busted for hosting pit bull fighting in his basement. Yes, this is the same guy who once handed the police his rookie trading card when pulled over during a traffic stop. Since the start of the season, he has now been suspended twice, arrested once and waived ... by the Portland Trailblazers! I was convinced they were going to enshrine him in their hall of fame and retire his jersey after the most recent offense. Has anybody lived up to the Jail-blazer nickname more than Woods? Why does Artest get all the attention?
Breakout Star: Other than LeBron, has anyone solidified his position as a bona fide all-star and top-five player in the league more than Dwyane Wade this season? Everyone knew he was talented, especially after the playoffs last season, but did anyone suspect he'd be putting up numbers like 23.6 ppg, 7.2 apg and 5.2 rpg one year later? I knew Miami would be great with the addition of Shaq, but little did I know that the Diesel wouldn't even be the best player on his own team. For those of you who only catch Wade highlights on SportsCenter (mostly acrobatic dunks, the occasional spin into the reverse fall-away), try watching an entire Heat game. Every time he touches the ball is a highlight.
Biggest Disappointment: I love Flip Saunders and the Big Ticket as much as the next guy, but has any team fallen from grace harder than the Minnesota Timberwolves? A year ago at this time they were still being mentioned as one of the top teams in the league. Now, they're at .500 and just lost to the Celtics (Tony Allen what?). Spree looks older than ever, Wally Szczerbiak is still stealing passes from his own teammates and Sam Cassell still looks like an alien. It's just not working for them, or for KG.
2004-2005 NBA Champions: It will be the San Antonio Spurs. I'm not just saying that because they currently have the best record in the league. The core three of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli have emerged as the most dominant, experienced and entertaining threesome since Rick Solomon and his camera teamed up with Paris Hilton for a cinematic masterpiece. They're all in their prime, they're playoff-tested, they're proven winners and they don't have to go through Shaq to get to the finals this year. No team is more solid offensively and defensively. They're also 2-0 against the Suns, with one of those wins being a 21-point whipping. Other than the Seattle Supersonics, no other team even has a remote chance of taking them in the postseason.
Sold? Good. Now let's all hope David Stern reduces Ron Artest's suspension so we can get some more antics with him and Stephen Jackson before the playoffs begin.
Marc Lanza '06 thinks everytime he writes a column, it's a highlight.
