NBA Awards Watch

So remember earlier this year in the preseason, when David Stern said this might be the best basketball year of all time? Apparently he wasn't kidding. Let's wait until the postseason to use superlatives like Mr. Stern, but no one can deny that this season has been amazing so far.

One of the reasons it has been so memorable is the complete inability to label one team as a title favorite. I'll be doing a monster piece with my picks at the end of the season when the conference standings are officially locked down. For now, with under 20 games left in the season, here are my award picks, which are no easier to choose.

Rookie of the Year

I DESERVE TO BE NUMBER ONEEE! WHYYY???

#3: DeMarcus Cousins- Can we start calling "foul trouble" "DeMarcus time" instead? DeMarcus's imMaturity is the only thing keeping him from being a solid franchise center. He's also 21 years old. Let's assume he has time to straighten things out, and pray for less outbursts like the one in which he screamed at Tyreke Evans for not allowing him to take the last second shot.

#2: John Wall- Wall is one of the fastest human beings I've ever seen on a basketball court. SO much potential. Thus, we who love good sporting events must rise up! Come on people, if you are a fan of the NBA and you don't live in the DC area, protest with me! FREE JOHN WALL! FREE JOHN WALL! FREE JOHN WALL!

#1: Blake Griffin- Duhhhh.

Players I Didn't Mention:

Landry Fields?

Wesley Johnson?

Derek Favors?

Luke Harangody? (Just kidding)

Good Lord, the rookie class this year sucks.

Most Improved Player

This doesn't terrify you? You are a stronger man than me.

#3: Derrick Rose- The MVP and MIP? Not happening. But Rose has improved a staggering amount this season. His points and assists per game are both up. He's shooting threes and mid range jumpers with conviction. He has more confidence in his teammates. His defense is better. He has...improved. Hey, I'm just the messenger.

#2: Kevin Love- He needs an award for something, right? Something for Minnesotans to cheer for before he signs himself the hell out of Minny at the first possible opportunity?

#1: LaMarcus Aldridge- Dear Mr. Aldridge. Pleas notice this writer is NOT SNUBBING YOU. YOU ARE NUMBER ONE. This writer noticed the utter destruction you wrecked upon the NBA after you were snubbed from the All Star game and would fear equal retribution if he did as well. I repeat, Tom Westerholm has not snubbed you. No snubs here. Please don't kill me.

Player I Didn't Mention:

Glen Davis- Boston fans love the Drunken Seal, but he hasn't improved as noticeably as the previous three.

Coach of the Year

Heeeeeere's Dougie!

#3: Greg Popovich- Can we just agree that Pop will probably be on this list for as long as he is a coach?

#2: Tom Thibodeau- As much as Derrick Rose has progressed this season in to a superfreakingstar point guard, the Bulls' success is in HEAPING amounts due to Thib's defensive schemes. Celtic fans from the years 2008-2010 saw this coming a MILE away.

#1: Doug Collins- Collins gets the nod over Thibodeau for degree of difficulty. Thibs has turned a very talented, super athletic team into a championship contender. Collins has turned a mediocre lottery team into a low playoff seed that no championship contender wants to face in the first round. You tell me, which do YOU think is more difficult?

Guys I Didn't Mention:

Doc Rivers- Ever get the feeling watching interviews with him that Doc is the smartest man in basketball? I do. No homer.

Nate McMillan- Another degree of difficulty guy. Juggling injuries is tough, and Portland has a team with knees made out of tissue paper, apparently.

Defensive Player of the Year

Kobe probably thought he got fouled and complained. Dwight probably complained that Kobe complained.
The NBA: Where Superstars Whining Constantly Happens

#3: Andre Iguodala- Watching Iguodala morph into the defensive presence his athleticism allows him to be has been one of the more rewarding experiences of the year so far for Philly Phans.

#2: Kevin Garnett- Team defense still matters. And Garnett understands team defense as well as, if not better than, any other player in the NBA. His constant vocalization and intensity on the defensive end of the floor make it hard to pick against him. Unfortunately for KG, the NBA still has...

#1: Dwight Howard- The conch is yours, Dwight. Use it wisely.

Players I Didn't Mention:

Andrew Bynum-  Bynum is starting to understand what he is capable of. If he stays healthy, his rebounding stats and defensive presence are going to be frightening in the next few years.

Josh Smith- Much too inconsistent to warrant a spot on here.

(Drum roll please...)

MVP

Hey, cool, so you guys are both on my team now, huh? Sweet. This should be a fun year. Hopefully you don't both get injured off and on throughout the entire season, and I don't have to carry this team entirely on my shoulders for 82 games. That would kind of suck.

#3: Dwight Howard- Without Superman in the middle, Orlando would give up 120 points per game. This team is porous defensively. Just...awful. So hard to watch. He is the single reason they have won 40+ games so far this year, despite his propensity for bad technicals.

#2: LeBron James- The best player in the league ALWAYS has value, no matter how good his teammates are. Can we please send the "he can't win, his teammates are too good" argument back to whatever hell of bad logic it came from?

#1: Derrick Rose- Congratulations Derrick! You officially have Barack Obama and Michael Jordan backing your MVP status. The President of the freaking United States of America and the greatest NBA player of all time? Uhh...think you might win? Yes. Yes you just might.

I have trouble picking Rose for my MVP. First, in terms of pure value to his team, no one ranks higher than Howard, especially looking around the league at the putrid opposing centers. Having a quality big man seems to be more important than a quality point guard, considering the glut of incredible PGS currently taking the NBA by storm. If you are making your MVP argument by saying who the BEST player in the NBA is, the consensus (and correct) pick is LeBron. But as I mentioned before, Derrick Rose is going to win, like it or not. Who am I to argue with Obama?

Players I Didn't Mention:

Dirk Nowitzki: Seriously, how would YOU stop a 7 foot German from getting his shot whenever he wants it?

Kobe Bryant: His plea-for-attention-practice-session after losing to Miami notwithstanding, Kobe is still the superstar backbone of a team I believe will be playing ball in June. Again. 

Chris Paul- Yeah, I'm still fighting CP3's fight. After all, if the playoffs started today, New Orleans would still make it in the deadly Western conference. And Chris Paul's reliable options on offense are still David West and..well...Trevor Ariza can jump really high? Yeah. CP's pretty good.

Any member of the Celtics and Spurs- Ooooh yeah. Basketball's a team game, and these individual awards are kind of ridiculous. I forgot. Silly me. See you boys deep in the playoffs.

Kevin Durant- Soon KD. Just not this year.