Marty Burns: Mid-Season Awards

[Test of Wills]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/w ... index.html

I think Bosh needs some consideration for NBA All-Second Team over Carmelo or Paul Pierce. Moon could arguably be the 3rd best rookie so far after Horford and Durant. Do you guys think Calderon can be in the race for Most-Improved Player with Andrew Bynum, Travis Outlaw and Chris Kaman.

All-NBA teams

First team
C Tim Duncan
F Kevin Garnett
F LeBron James
G Kobe Bryant
G Steve Nash

Second team
C Dwight Howard
F Carlos Boozer
F Dirk Nowitzki
G Allen Iverson
G Chris Paul

Third team
C Yao Ming
F Carmelo Anthony
F Paul Pierce
G Dwyane Wade
G Baron Davis

Rookie of the Year

My pick: Kevin Durant, SuperSonics

Thanks to a fairly lackluster class, and Greg Oden's knee injury, this one is an easy call at this point. Durant entered Wednesday averaging 19.3 points per game, nearly nine more than the second-place rookie, Juan Carlos Navarro. Durant is shooting only 40 percent, but the slender swingman has had to undergo a baptism by fire while being the focus of opposing defenses all season. Al Horford has been solid and looks to be a future double-double guy for years to come, but he is no Durant. It's just too bad that Oden, the No. 1 overall pick for the Blazers, isn't around to make this a more compelling race.

The rest of my ballot
2. Al Horford, Hawks
3. Juan Carlos Navarro, Grizzlies

[Silk Wilkes]

Chris over Pierce, KG is doing everything for them and these "experts" can't see it.

Horford over Durant and Navarro is third in his dreams.

[MjM2xTreMe]

Chris over Pierce, KG is doing everything for them and these "experts" can't see it.

Horford over Durant and Navarro is third in his dreams.

QFT on both accounts.

[HighOctane]

Chris on third team over Pierce.

Jamario for 4th best rookie.

Calderon for MIP over outlaw. But he'd still only be 4 out of 4.

[The_Hater]

Pierce isn't a 3rd team all-star simply because of his stats, he's 3rd team because he's the leading scorer AND playing great defense on the league's best team.

I'd might even argue that Pierce should be a 2nd team all-star ahead of Dirk.

[ponder276]

Forwards are tough to call - for me Melo is not in the running, but the 4 spots on 2nd and 3rd team are pretty much a toss-up between Bosh, Butler, Dirk, Boozer and Pierce. I'd put Amare over Yao at C. As for MIP, I think it's an all-center race between Dwight, Bynum and Kaman.

[Spinmang]

Id agree with the Hater about Pierce.

PP has been great this year.

[bballin]

So Memphis has Gasol, Miller, so called superstar Gay and the third best rookie in this seasons draft and they still the laughing stock of the league, what gives?

[The_Hater]

As for MIP, I think it's an all-center race between Dwight, Bynum and Kaman.

Bynum might have injured himself away from the award. And if D.Howard is a candidate for MIP than Chris Paul should be as well. Both have progressed from star --> all-league this season.

As far as true improvement not just simply due to increased minutes, Kaman would probably be my choice now. Gay and Outlaw have improved a lot too.