Blake Murphy Sports Writing

Title: 2007 NBA Awards
Date: April 20, 2007
Original Source: The On Deck Circle
Synopsis: Because I had a robust month of writing experience, I figured I deserved a vote for some NBA hardware. In retrospect, some of the picks were pretty good, while some are pretty shameful (like “not a huge Nash fan”….really?). Alas, we grow.

Very tough year to call a lot of awards. Some claim the NBA season was awful and ugly do to the tanking and the number of inuries, but I think it was a decent year. Some ugly spots, but overall a season is remembered for its playoffs, and I think this year’s playoffs have the chance to be as good as any; most first round matchups and potential later-round matchups look phenomenal. Before we talk playoffs though, it’s time to hand out some hardware.

Most Valuable Player
Winner: Steve Nash
I really hate to do this. You do not understand how hard it is for me to do this. I’m not a huge Nash fan, and really don’t think he deserved his last two MVP awards (Shaquille O’Neal two years ago, LeBron James last year). This is a really tough call for me to make, so I think a lengthy explanation is in order. There are a lot of different ways to interpret MVP criteria; some base it on the best player (which would be the Most Outstanding Player award and would go to Kobe Bryant hands down), some base it on the premise if you had your life on the line, who would you take (again, easily Kobe Bryant, assuming he likes me), some say the best player on the best team (Dirk Nowitzki), or the best player on a good team that should not have been good but was (Chris Bosh), or the player whose team would suffer most if they were removed or replaced with an average player at that position. I tend to lean towards this last criteria, because I think it best encompasses the term “valuable.” There is no way to measure a player’s value in this regard without strong assumptions, since there is not injury evidence for every MVP candidate. Phoenix’s six games without Nash is not enough to base it on. So this is a difficult criteria as well. On top of this, there is media pressure not to give Nash the award because it would put him as the fourth in a class with Wilt Chamberlain, Larry Bird, and Bill Russell as the only thrice-in-a-row winners. I think this notion is ridiculous for several reasons. One, maybe Nash does belong with them…he has revolutionized the point guard position in the modern day NBA. Second, Nash should not be held responsible for a lack of clear competition for the trophy. Third, I think the total number of MVP awards (and championship rings) is a much more historical factor to focus on than how many in a row. And finally, because in my mind, Nash didn’t win the last two MVP awards. And I certainly wasn’t going to have a MAJOR cop-out on the award like Bill Simmons. So what this decision came down to, with all this fuzziness and me pulling to give it to Kobe, who has to be the most disrespected player in the league (I’d go as far as to say underrated, even), was me closing my eyes for a minute and seeing what was there. And what came to mind was this: the Suns would suck with Luke Ridnour as their point guard. I’ve got to go with the “replacement” criteria. It might not be the best way to find a deserving winner, but in the context of how the award is defined, this is the best way to determine a player’s inherent value to a team. Steve Nash, congratulations on your first MVP award.

Runners Up:
Kobe Bryant – a very close 2nd. The Lakers go 10-72 if he’s not on that team, and he’s made certain players on that team better than anyone could have imagined (see: Luke Walton, for one). Obviously, they’re better off in the long run with team play, but the Kobe Show is effective.
Tracy McGrady – the best player on the floor at all times. He kept the Rockets above water with Yao missing big floor time. His numbers do not do his game justice, as he’s the most unselfish scorer in the league, and one of the best perimeter defenders around.
Dirk Nowitzki – tough to give him love here because the Mavericks are so deep, and he didn’t even put up career numbers.
Chris Bosh – definitely the Eastern Conference MVP, even though he missed 13 games. I think it must be that you have to watch closely to see what a floor general he is and how much he means to this franchise.

Most Improved Player
Winner: Kevin Martin
This is always, in my opinion, the toughest to call. The foremost reason is that I can’t watch every game all season long, so I don’t have a great grasp on the evolution of players not on the Raptors. Obviously, I’m going to recognize the wild improvement in Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani even without numbers, but the improvement of a player like Mikki Moore, who the numbers don’t really support, isn’t going to be all that obvious to me. The second reason it’s a difficult award to hand out is because, like the MVP award, there are a lot of ways to approach it. Most people tend to look at stats alone, but this can be misleading. Also, people tend to look at the award exclusively through a season-to-season looking glass, assuming there was some inherent change in each player over the offseason. Obviously, this ignores the (extremely important) progression of a player during the season. John Hollinger picked Jose Calderon as his most improved player, using his PER statistic as the basis. Even as a huge Calderon fan and having watched him progress over the last two years, I really can’t support his case for the award because there are a few more deserving. Dave did a great job outlining the case for Deron Williams to win the award, but I can’t give it to him either. Andre Iguodala didn’t have the numbers to support a case, but he did become a floor general and went from a good role player to a superstar after the Iverson trade. Joey Graham and Tarence Kinsey showed marked improvements in their game over the last month of the season. Chuck Hayes, while not improving offensively, became one of the most feared defensive stoppers and rebounders in the West. So where am I going with all of this? Basically, I’m covering my ass because I know this is the most debatable award one can hand out. The award goes to Kevin Martin of the Sacramento Kings. Martin began to show flashes late last season of the player he could be, and this slow and steady improvement rolled right into this season. He increased his scoring output from 10.8 to 20.2 without losing anything in the “efficiency” statistics…his 3-point shooting actually improved to a clip of nearly 40%. Martin was the only reason the Kings could even think about the playoffs as late as March, and at just 24 years old the future is bright for K-Mart II. He is also the lone reason I lost my fantasy basketball league, as Pennycook had the foresight to see this coming.

Runners Up:
Andris Biedrins – went from a nobody to an “untouchable” in the first few weeks of the season, averaging just shy of 10 points and 10 rebounds in just 29 minutes a contest, all while shooting 60% from the floor.
Monta Ellis – really deserving of the award, as well, as his scoring and asssits averages more than doubled from last season. I had trouble giving him the award because his 3-point shooting was disasterous compared to last year, but he improved everywhere else.
Danny Granger – really thrived once his role in Indiana changed, and I’d expect to see him on this list again next season.
Deron Williams – see Dave’s piece.

Sixth Man of the Year
Winner: Manu Ginobili
This award is based 100% on how much value you think a bench player really has. Dave liked the instant offense approach. Some require the player to be exclusively a bench player. Others prefer the “game changer” approach. The NBA requirements for this reward state that a player must have come off the bench for more games than he started, meaning 40 starts is the maximum allowed. Due to the philosophy change of Scott Skiles, Ben Gordon lost his eligibility for this award, but he was a shoe-in before hand. This corollary also almost eliminated my eventual choice for the winner, as he came off the bench for 39 games compared to 36 starts. The best sixth man in the NBA, though, is San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili. Ginobili started for the most part at the start of the season, even though the Spurs had experienced a lot of success with Ginobili as a spark plug off the bench towards the end of 2005-2006 and the 2006 playoffs. At the end of January, Big Poppa Popovich realized the err of his ways and sent Manu back to the bench, where he could be a pace changer and require opposing teams to extend the minutes of their best defending guard. Ginobili’s production was actually slightly better off the bench in terms of scoring, assists, and all three shooting percentages. Ginobili thrives in his role as the sixth man, and creates a lot of matchup problems against second units. He allows the Spurs to start a bigger lineup, and actually become more potent offensively later in the game. You can expect Manu to come off the bench in the playoffs, too, but I’d expect a lot more than 29 minutes per contest.

Runners Up:
David Lee – really hard to discount the big fella here, as he averaged a double-double almost exclusively as a bench guy. The problem with giving him the award is that he was kept on the bench mostly to try and get him this award, and Ginboili had the advantage of making a difference in the story of the game rather than just putting up big numbers.
Jerry Stackhouse – again, see Dave’s piece, as he did a good job outlining the case for The Stack. Lost points because, unlike Ginobili, his team is not significantly better BECAUSE he comes off the bench, they’re just deep enough to enjoy that luxury.
Antonio McDyess – say what you will about him, but his numbers in the second half were incredible. Without Ben Wallace down low, McDyess provides a great defensive option off the bench, allowing Webber and Rasheed to chill out guarding bigger players.
Andrea Bargnani – hurt by the injury late season and the slow start, but he had the numbers for a 6th man candidate. Assuming the Raptors stick with the same rotation next year, I don’t see any way he doesn’t crack the top 3 here.

Defensive Player of the Year
Winner: Kobe Bryant
Steals, blocks, and even Hollinger’s defensive efficiency measures really don’t give you a full picture of how effective a player is defensively. Thus, there are a lot of guys who are interchangable for this award, and I’d rather you guys refer to my All-Defense 1st and 2nd teams below than judge my defensive knowledge on this pick alone. But alas, a choice had to be made on just one and I think I made the right one. The defensive player of the year is Kobe Bryant. I know, that one is a bit of a shocker. Under appreciated as the best player in the game, Kobe is even more underrated on the defensive end. I’m certain that if the players voted on such things, he would make 1st team All-Defense for sure. The guy is uncanny on the defensive end, and I have no idea how he keeps up the pace at both ends of the floor for over 40 minutes a game. A lot of you may not associate Kobe with other defensive stoppers, and his 0.6 blocks and 1.5 steals per game may not scream it either. However, Kobe is always smothering his man, helping hard on drives into the lane, and is a master at deflecting passes sent by his man. He draws the toughest matchup every night, guarding 1s, 2s, and 3s, and you simply can not find an open jumper with Kobe around.

Runners Up:
Alonzo Mourning – hurt by a lack of minutes and a serious let-off at the end of the season, but the wily veteran is still as much of a scare inside than anyone in the game.
Ben Wallace – his numbers declined a bit this season, and he’s overpaid beyond belief. However, seeing him live, I can’t not give him consideration. When he’s on the floor, there is actually NO action in the paint at all. Every team is afraid of Ben, and he has great range on the defensive end for a big man.
Devin Harris – the quicks help a lot, but Harris is one of the most active defenders in the show, especially considering he usually takes the better guard because J-Terry is a bit of a liability.
Tayshaun Prince – fantastic length and a great knack for decision making and timing, Prince is now the defensive back bone of the Ben-less Pistons.

Rookie of the Year
Winner: Brandon Roy
I won’t bore you with the stats or the details, but this was a one-pony race pretty much the entire season. For a while, it looked like Bargnani had a shot at a come-from-behind, as his averages climbed steadily throughout the year, but the appendectomy obviously derailed any hopes he had. Nobody else was even close, and while I’m certain Roy will not be the best player from this draft class, he was definitely the most NBA-ready. My pre-season pick was right by a landslide. 17, 4, and 4 are pretty good numbers for a 2-guard regardless of age, and he just may sneak into the Kidd/McGrady/Iguodala range of 20-6-6 by the time he’s matured.

Runners Up:
Andrea Bargnani – a great season and steady improvement throughout. I hate to say it, but better numbers than Dirk’s as a rookie, putting up 11.6 and 4 while shooting a ridiculous 37.3% from long range.
Rudy Gay – the “greatest college player ever,” “greatest NBA player ever,” and, “citizenship award winner,” according to Dave, Rudy showed a lot of improvement once he started getting minutes from Tony Jabroni. Why he didn’t play 35 minutes a night for this brutal team, I’ll never understand.
Jorge Garbajosa – didn’t have fantastic numbers and isn’t really a rookie given that he could be Bargnani’s dad, but 8.5 and 6 is enough to sneak on in a weak draft class. Get well soon, Borat.
Tarence Kinsey – that’s right, he’s on here because I couldn’t bring myself to include Morrison (37% shooting, almost no rebounds) on here. Kinsey also really turned it on late in the season, averaging 9.9 points in March and 18.8 in April. You read that correctly.

Coach of the Year
Winner: Sam Mitchell
If you didn’t read my 2nd blog ever, you might not know how good a job I think Sam has done this season. I won’t explain in great detail, but basically you can look at three things about the Raptors season. The foremost is the largest improvement of any team in the NBA (20 games, to Houston’s 18), and Toronto’s wasn’t explained by a more healthy superstar tandem. Colangelo can get a lot of the credit here, but Sam has improved as a coach every bit as much as this change in record would predict. Second, every player on that team improved this year. The only one who struggled the entire season was Fred Jones (Mo-Pete? Shut up), who’s gone now and really had no desire to get better. Bosh attributes most of his progression to Mitchell, the point guards have improved leaps and bounds, and the international players found their NBA games early. Guys like Joey Graham, Kris Humphries, and even Uros Slokar were always ready to play when called upon, and whether they actually got better or Sam found the role that suits them best, there is no arguing Sam’s profound effect on the roster through and through. Finally, Sam is the only coach of the year candidate not working with several superstars on his team, and is becoming a wildly popular coach in the lockerroom and NBA circles, meaning I’m not just wearing rosy red love goggles here. Sam is the man, and here’s hoping the Charlotte rumors aren’t true.

Runners Up:
Gregg Popovich – always has that team ready to play, and they are definitely the most well prepared team on any given night.
Mike D’Antoni – even though he has a lot of stars, he has to juggle those egos and get buy-in from all the guys. He’s mostly here because of how well he handled Amare’s return in the face of Boris Diaw’s improving game.

Executive of the Year
Winner: Bryan Colangelo

Any questions?

Sportsmanship Award
Winner: Anthony Parker
Sure, I have no idea of the actual requirements for this reward, and have never been on the floor with any of the finalists. But, I wanted A-P to win something (he would have won Most Improved, but he didn’t actually improve, since he was the Michael Jordan of European basketball before coming here), and he’s a finalist here so why not. He’s clearly a consummate professional, and seems to be well liked throughout the league. Hat-trick for the Raptors!

Runners Up:
Mardy Collins
Ron Artest

Citizenship Award
Winner: Chris Andersen
Chris has been extremely active since leaving the NBA. He’s made appearances at childrens’ parties as a clown, he’s been the mascot for a Double-A baseball team, he’s even cleaned many street courts. What’s that you say? Oh, that wasn’t for charity? Odd jobs for heroine money? My bad…

Runners Up:
Leopold “Butters” Stotch
Trevor Smith

Note: For the All-Teams below, I do not strictly adhere to positions due to the lack of true centers in the league. Thus, some teams may have 3 guards or 3 forwards, similar to a college squad. Deal with it. I also tried to control for players with serious time missed (D-Wade, Iverson, Ray-Ray). This is A LOT harder to do than you’d think.

All-NBA First Team
Steve Nash
Kobe Bryant
Tracy McGrady
Dirk Nowitzki
Tim Duncan

All-NBA Second Team
Gilbert Arenas
LeBron James
Chris Bosh
Kevin Garnett
Dwight Howard

All-NBA Third Team
Chris Paul
Chauncey Billups
Andrew Iguodala
Zach Randolph
Amare Stoudemire

All-Defensive First Team
Devin Harris
Kobe Bryant
Josh Smith
Tim Duncan
Jermain O’Neal

All-Defensive Second Team
Kirk Hinrich
Anothony Parker
Tayshaun Prince
Alonzo Mourning
Ben Wallace

All-Rookie Team
Brandon Roy
Tarence Kinsey
Rudy Gay
Andrea Bargnani
Walter Herrmann

All-Sexy Team
Blake Murphy