2013 NBA Picks and Predictions: Midseason NBA Award Winners Although the All-Star break is still a few weeks away, the NBA is already hitting its midway point. As a result, it’s time to take a look at the players that have established themselves as the frontrunners for the major individual honors. Obviously, awards aren’t won in January and nothing is set in stone, but at the very least, the players that have been the best in the NBA thus far have a leg up on the competition and will likely be in the conversation the rest of the way.
2013 NBA Picks and Predictions: Midseason NBA Award Winners
MVP: LeBron James, Forward, Miami Heat
I will listen to arguments for Kevin Durant, but the defending MVP is also this year’s MVP in my eyes. Miami has the best record in the Eastern Conference, and James is averaging 26.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists. He leads the Heat in all three categories, and he is also shooting a career-best 55.1 percent from the field and averaging a career-low 2.8 turnovers per game. Throw in the fact that he defends every position on the court and does so at an elite level, and there just isn’t a player that impacts that game at both ends of the court at such a high level.
Defensive Player of the Year: Joakim Noah, Center Chicago Bulls
Noah has had a stranglehold on Defensive Player of the Year honors for a while, and he isn’t letting up. He is currently fourth in the NBA in rebounding at 11.0 per game, and he is also averaging 2.1 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. Noah is the enforcer in the middle of a Chicago defense that is allowing the third-fewest points and holding opponents to the second-worst field goal percentage. More importantly, the Bulls are allowing almost 10 fewer points per game when he is on the court.
Sixth Man of the Year: J.R. Smith, Shooting Guard, New York Knicks
He and Clippers’ guard Jamal Crawford have been going back and forth as the league’s top bench scorer, and even though Smith is currently second in the category at 16.5 points per game, his ability to contribute in other areas sets him apart. In addition to his scoring bunch, Smith is pulling down 5.1 rebounds per game and chipping in 2.9 assists and 1.3 steals. He is always going to be known as a scorer, but Smith has also been doing the little things to help the Knicks win.
Rookie of the Year: Damian Lillard, Point Guard, Portland Trailblazers
When the season began, this award was supposed to be a slam dunk for New Orleans’ Anthony Davis. Instead, Lillard is running away with ROY honors. He is leading all rookies with 18.3 points per game, 2.2 3-pointers per game and 6.6 assists per game. In fact, Lillard is actually 17th in scoring in the NBA this year and 15th in assists. The fact that he has been one of the main contributors on an overachieving Portland team that is just a game out of the playoffs is just icing on the cake.
Most Improved Player: Jrue Holiday, Point Guard, Philadelphia 76ers
Holiday has blossomed into an elite point guard in his fourth year in the league. He is currently averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists and 3-pointers, and he is shooting a career-best 45.2 percent from the floor. Overall, Holiday is 13th in the NBA in scoring at 19.0 pointers per game and fourth with 9.0 assists. His ability to both scorer and distribute at such a high level puts him in rare company, and after three average seasons, Holiday has been something special in 2012-13.
Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls
When Derrick Rose went down in the playoffs last season with a knee injury, Chicago fans were hoping the team could hold its own until its leading scorer returned sometime in 2013. Well, Rose is still out, but that hasn’t stopped the Bulls from posting the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. Thibodeau and his defensive-oriented system deserve a ton of credit for what the Bulls have accomplished without Rose. Chicago currently owns the third-best scoring defense and is holding opponents to the second-worst field goal percentage. The Bulls also rank in the top five in the NBA in rebound differential and in the top 10 in turnover differential. The bottom line is that Chicago’s defense has been shouldering the load in Rose’s absence, and Thibodeau is the architect of that defense.
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