Answered:

1. Will Rasheed Wallace be a cancerous player? Will he affect the chemistry which has become 2004 Red Sox’ like between the Celtics’ players? No. He has only been beneficial as a PF/C. He has hit seven three pointers, and is almost shooting an incredible 50% from beyond the arc. Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers are clearly making a concerted effort to keep the hot head cool, and his presence is stretching opposing defenses and making other players ever more threatening. For instance, playing the Cavs, there may be a situation where big man Anderson Varejao needs to step out on Sheed, giving a guy like Rajon Rondo or Paul Pierce an open lane to the basket with one less person to divert the shot attempt. Good move Ainge, Rasheed was a great acquisition.
2. Marquis Daniels will really help this team. Another great move by Danny Ainge. Marquis Daniels is not the same player that James Posey was, but he gives Pierce an opportunity not to guard the oppositions’ best player like LeBron for an entire game. Tony Allen was supposed to be like Daniels, a defensive presence with slashing abilities on offense, but injuries held him back. Daniels is a threat offensively and is a solid defender.
3. Kevin Garnett is fine. There are still questions about the long haul, but he has reacted well to the surgery and is playing with the same intensity that he always had.
4. The playoff performances by Rajon Rondo were not flukish. Rondo has continued to produce at a high level. Against the Bulls and one of the most hyped young point guards in the league (Derrick Rose), Rondo had 16 assists.
5. Kendrick Perkins is still improving. Perk is in his 7th season, but is improving like it’s his 3rd year. He continues to block all kinds of shots, and his offensive game is a threat, especially down low. He’s a mammoth of a man, and really does a great job clogging lanes, but his growth and development have given him abilities to be in good position to block shots.
6. Eddie House is going to be huge. Down the stretch, the Celtics will need to win games when their starting five aren’t playing up to their full potential. Eddie House will prove to be a huge spark, as his shooting abilities will be amplified with defenses having to worry about Rasheed Wallace and now Marquis Daniels.

Questions:

1. While Garnett has showed signs of health and success early on, will his knee be able to survive a full, 82 game season? If the Celtics continue to win games that they should enabling KG to get some rest, then yes. Plus, Doc Rivers is being cautious with Garnett, so if he ever feels KG needs a day off to recover, we shouldn’t worry about Rivers being afraid to give Kevin a day off. I think KG will be fine, but there will certainly be times when he was not as effective as last year.
2. Will Rondo hit his jump shots? Rondo has not had many shot attempts, just two against the Bulls, but he did hit a few jumpers against the Cavaliers and Bobcats. This is always a question with the Celtics, because teams know that Rajon will not hurt them with his mid-range shot. If he can develop that shot and continue to improve upon it (it already looks a little better) then opposing teams will have yet another item to worry about.
3. How will Glen Davis’s return affect Boston? He should only help the team. Despite his questionable decision making, he was seen smiling with Danny Ainge and joking around with teammates. He is still a part of the C’s, and when he returns the Celtics will have a sensational four man rotation of Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Rasheed Wallace and Big Baby. Throw in Brian Scalabrine and the strong rebounding and athletic Shelden Williams, and the C’s should be dominant down low.

So, while questions remain, the C’s have showed early season dominance, and at this point, there’s no reason that shouldn’t continue.

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!!