NESO'S TAKE ON SPORTS

The first half of the 2008-2009 NBA season is coming to a close, and it is time for our first annual NESO’S TAKE mid-season awards!!! We will look at Rookie of the Year, MVP, Most annoying player, and Biggest Flopper.

MVP: At this point, I think there’s only debate between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Chris Paul is a huge part of the Hornets, and without CP3, New Orleans would be nowhere, however Kobe and LeBron do far more. Now, even though James’ Cavs lost to the Lakers in that marquee game a week ago, LeBron has most definitely earned his spot as the mid-season MVP. He has done far more with his team than anyone. The Cavs have the best win percentage (81.4%) and lead the Eastern Conference as of now. Also, the Cavaliers’ best shooter other than LeBron is Mo Williams, and then after Mo, there’s Wally Sczerbiak and then Zydrunas Ilgauskas. The only player here who makes a defensive impact is James, while Mo, Wally and Zydrunas all lack abilities on the defensive end. Kobe on the other hand has Andrew Bynum, who is a monster inside the paint, and on offense he can work with Pao Gasol and Lamar Odom. Also, Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar are capable three-point shooters. Clearly, LeBron has to pick up much more slack on the defensive end, and puts up BETTER offensive numbers than Kobe.

LEBRON             KOBE
28 PPG             27 PPG
8 ASST                5.6 ASST
7.5 REBS             5.5 REBS

Clearly, LeBron leads in all major offensive categories, with far less to work with defensively. Anyone who wants to say that KG or Dwight Howard deserves MVP, they’re great players, and great candidates, but neither puts up such electric numbers (Howard is best on the boards, but not very spectacular in the other categories). Thus, the Mid-Season MVP Goes to: LEBRON JAMES!!

Rookie of the Year: For mid-season ROY, there is a lot of competition, mainly between Derrick Rose, O.J. Mayo, Kevin Love, and Russell Westbrook.  Rose has by far has the most electric numbers in comparison to Mayo, with 7+ assists per game and almost 17 PPG.  Mayo also has good shooting numbers, with 18 PPG, however he only has 2.5 ASST per game, and he also doesn’t control the court like Rose can. No, Mayo is not a PG, however Rose still has more impact on his team. Thus, I pick Rose over Mayo. Between Love and Westbrook, I pick Westbrook. Westbrook has shot well, with 14.5 PPG, and also has 5 assists per game. He also brings an immense amount of defensive potential to the table. The reason potential is important here, is that if he is able to hone that skill.. if, he will be a star defensive player, as he has exceptional length and knack for the ball. Love has also had an impact on his team, and he has 8 rebounds per game, along with 9 PPG.  I believe that Westbrook wins out here, because not only does he score more points, but he also is more of a defensive presence, even though he’s still developing. Just his sheer length (wingspan) gives him an advantage, and Love has proved himself more of a rebounding asset, who has a high basketball IQ and is a gritty competitor. Both players are still developing, and I believe that Westbrook has just made more of an impact so far, so Russell wins out. Now, between Rose and Westbrook, the award here has to go to Westbrook. Russell has a far greater defensive presence than Rose, and Rose has had trouble hitting clutch shots. If Rose can work on his clutch shooting ability, he will be a force to reckon with, however as of now, Westbrook is shooting, assisting and even defending well! He wins this year’s mid-season Rookie of the Year award!! Congratulations Russell Westbrook!

Now for some fun awards:

Most Annoying Player: There’s no debate here. Stephon Marbury was a cancer to the Knicks, and he pretty much started the New York vs. Isiah Thomas incident. Marbury was not wanted by any teammates, and newly appointed coach Mike D’Antoni wants no part of him. So Congrats Stephon Marbury.. You are this year’s most Annoying Player!

Biggest Flopper: Okay, again, not much debate. Back when the Sacramento Kings were perennial playoff teams, Vlade Divac would have run away with this award, however he no longer plays in the league. Sooo, somebody had to take his place. Congratulations Anderson Varejao! You flop on defense and you make shots harder when you drive to the hoop by flopping on offense too. The only problem is, when you get to the line, you can’t hit a free throw. I think you could have given Marubury a threat for most annoying, however at least Marbury can take a hit like a man. Congrats Andesron Varejao, you are our biggest flopper!

So there you have it, NESO’S Mid-Season awards!!