Time to start the NBA awards voting, at least for me

You know how when you go to vote they give you that sheet of paper and stick you behind that little cardboard screens so you can have total privacy and no one can see where you’re putting the X?

Well, that’s all well and good for democracy but this is me and this is the NBA and now that it’s almost time for me to get the post-season awards ballots in, figure I’d share my selections with all you lucky Irregulars.

(Besides, it knocks off a slow day here and I still reserve the right to make a secret change before I submit them to the league either this afternoon or tomorrow morning)

So, without further ado, let’s do three today and three tomorrow, okay?

MVP

It’s good that we like our heroes a bit flawed because whoever comes out on top in this race – and it might be a close one – will have some foibles that are overlooked, either individually or with the team.

I don’t know what it is but there’s just something about LeBron James that, at times, underwhelms me. You look at nights like the one he had in Jersey last week – 17 straight points to rescue his team – and nights like he had against Toronto right after – 10 makes in his first 11 shots – and you want to scream: WHY DON’T YOU DO THAT ALL THE TIME, WE KNOW YOU COULD!

Can you give an MVP award to a guy like that, a guy who tends to defer too often? Can you?

Or can you look at Kevin Durant, freakishly long, gifted scorer, good defender and vote for him while yelling: GO AND TAKE THE DAMN BALL FROM WESTBROOK, YOU KNOW WE’D ALL LOVE IT IF YOU DID.

Can you forget that Kevin Love stomped on Luis Scola’s face and still was only half of a twosome on so-so team that plummeted off the cliff when Ricky Rubio went down. Do MVPs let that happen?

Does Chris Paul get it simply for pretending to listen to Vinny Del Negro for most of the season?

Anyway ….

My five?

LeBron James

Kevin Durant

Chris Paul

Tony Parker

Kevin Love.

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Coach of the Year

Yeah, I know. Too much credit when things go good; too much blame when things go bad, who needs ‘em, right? Well, they do get too much credit and blame in games but they can still influence things mightily and there are certainly those who are better than the others.

So, in order, for now:

Gregg Popovich.

Irascible, argumentative, doesn’t give a rat’s patoot about what people think, sits down his best players when you least expect and, lo and behold, they have the best record in the NBA. Yeah, not bad.

Frank Vogel

Look at that roster. Who you going to give the ball to, what are you going to call, on that one possession that wins or loses a game? Right. No one.

Tom Thibodeau

Let’s say you lose your best player for almost half a season, the guy you signed to take pressure off that best player has been a virtual no-show because of injury and your frontcourt can’t really score. Now let’s say you don’t whine or complain and you coach your butt off and you’re team is the best in its conference.

Yeah, your name should be on the ballot.

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Defensive Player of the Year

No, it’s not the sexiest of awards by any stretch of the imagination. It’s like Basketball Grunt Work, though, and you know how I love Grunt Work.

From the top down …

Tyson Chandler

You try to make Baron Davis and Jeremy Lin and Amar’e Stoudemire and JR Smith and that bunch into a passable defensive unit. You try to do it while being coached for half a season by a guy who tends to treat defence with disdain.

Go ahead, try it.

Chandler did. He did it well. He wins.

Dwight Howard

Forget all the shenanigans about The Indecision and Stan Van Gundy and remember that this guy is a rather imposing sort when he’s standing near the basket.

His reputation took a huge hit, no question about it; his sklls didn’t.

Serge Ibaka

Maybe I change this to Iguodala or Tony Allen but I just like the sound in my head when it say:

IBAKA!!!!

Good enough for now, right?

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Okay, tomorrow, we’ll do rookie, sixth man and most improved, the other three ballots I have waiting in my in-box to fill out.

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More, as they say? How about two quick ones?

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So the Phoenix Suns are officially eliminated from the playoffs after losing in Utah last night and that immediately starts more speculation about Steve Nash’s future.

The one quote I saw post-game last night from him (“I’ll take a look at everything. I think I’ve earned that.”) makes entire sense.

You know that I say the HOTH should offer him three years at big money and see what he says (and, no, I have no idea what he’ll say) but that’s a point for another day.

Today’s point is this:

The Suns finish their regular season at home tonight against San Antonio and while I don’t expect that Nash will play very much, I would hope – and expect – that for every minute he’s on the floor, the fans out there stand and cheer like they’ve seldom stood and cheered before.

In, let’s say, the past decade, you can hardly find a guy who has made his franchise better, and relevant, than Nash has with Phoenix. He made marginal players far better than they should have been, he turned a so-so team into one to be feared in the post-season almost every year, he was twice named the best player in the league and if tonight is his last game in Phoenix, he needs to be shown more appreciation than anyone ever has been.

Name me three other guys more closely associated with a successful franchise over the last 10 years than Nash has been:

Maybe Dirk, maybe Kobe; that might be about it.

It has been a wondrous run and if it’s over, it needs to be a memorable moment.

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Seven games for Metta World Peace?

I’d say it’s on the low side but you can also make the case that David Stern didn’t over-react; I read somewhere that the longest suspension for an elbow to the head previously was two games and while I would have probably liked 10 better, I can live with seven.

Sort of wish it had been eight, though, which would have meant he’d miss the entire first round of the playoffs regardless of what happened.

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Comments

[Lorie]

Hey Doug!
I'm a day late with this but the title of yesterday's blog stuck in my mind and I couldn't shake the sense of something I should recognize. And finally! Eureka! Gadzooks! Slim Dusty and Camooweal! The line I recalled was: "Oh, the long road beckoned on; my feet said go...". Is that who you were channelling, if not quoting? And is there a prize?
http://youtu.be/12LFhv5EBLg

Blogger's note: Knew first part, had forgotten second

[doug]

I don't get how people say LeBron is the most talented ever, they either must be young or never watched much b-ball...he's not even in my top 5, if someone gave me free tickets to go watch Lebron play or to see the Blue Jays I'd go see the Jays, LeBron's "amazing statistical" year is all smoke and mirrors, I'd love to see the MVP award be a year long award, meaning include the playoffs...as that's LeBron kryptonite thus far and that's where true MVP's are made...Rookie of the Year, 6th man are pretty straight forward this year (Irving,Harden in a landslide), and the award I find most useless is the MIP award, I ask anyone to name me the last few winners of that award or even last years without looking it up, no one can....ok cheers....

[Moshigh]

At no time do I personally have interest as a Raptors fan to see Nash in a Toronto uniform. Yes he is a all star and hall of famer. But unless this team gets another good young pt guard that could learn under him it makes no sense. Toronto has to just keep building from bottom up.

Nash would never reach Toronto, I dont see it for a second maybe if there was a Vancouver team.

[john]

Blogger's note: Ok, but who are you cheering for in the Cleveland, Sacramento, Golden State games, all of which have an impact as well.

I know, I know, I know... how about if we look at it this way, I am not necessarilly cheering for another team as much as I am cheering for a better chance at a much higher draft pick. And its only for a day...

Blogger's note: Marginally better in a draft that's becoming one deep and the second-best player is already coming

[Topper]

I would have thought Geoprge Karl would get some coach of the year consideration. The mans taken a team that has lossed Melo to a trade, Galo and Rudy to injury. Uri swapped his vet center for an immature still developing kid with asthma. All while maintaining a playoff spot. and I realize 6th seed is not exactly ideal, but for them to be have a better record then last years NBA champs is astounding. So why no love for Coach K?
And Its not just you, I have not seen in mentioned anywhere.You grunts let coach Sloan get away without a trophy. Dont snub coach K just because Tibbs can win in CHI-Town without D-Rose.
I wouldn't expect him to beat out Pop this year. Who would definetly get my vote. But its odd to me know ones making an argument for Karl. Any thoughts?

P.S. You may forward this to the mailbag, I would appreciate it.
I looked but could not link.

Blogger's note: Pretty much gave my thoughts; they won't change. George can be fourth

[brad]

It must be hard for reporters to keep having to say World Peace when referencing Artest....there has to be some headlines somewhere playing with some words here....ie, World Peace Suspended... I don't think you should be be allowed to call yourself World Peace anymore if you try to take someone's head off with your elbow.