The NBA at the midway point

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By Benjamin Holtzman

Unlike many past NBA seasons where it is quite obvious around the halfway point in the season who the best teams, players, and rookies are, this has been an intriguing season in which such accolades could be awarded to several people.

Now that the halfway point in the regular season has been reached, here is a review of who has been the best of the best thus far and a preview of who will likely receive the honors when the season ends:

Best Team: So far this season, it has been a toss-up between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both have similar outstanding records, not to mention each possesses debatably the best player in the game in Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

However, the Lakers are a far more talented team, most notably because Laker Pau Gasol is a far superior second option than Cleveland point guard Mo Williams. Don't be surprised to see the Lakers repeat as champions in June.

Surprise Team: The surprise team of the Eastern Conference has to be the Atlanta Hawks. Everyone believed this was a good team, but it is shocking to see just how dominant they are at times, possessing the athleticism and youth to knock off the Cavaliers or Boston Celtics in a playoff series. This could be a potential championship team.

In the Western Conference, it has to be the Houston Rockets. Despite the fact that the Memphis Grizzlies are a winner for the first time in several years, it has to be the Rockets because they are in the playoff hunt without stars Yao Ming or Tracy McGrady. This is a very scrappy team that is constantly finding different ways to win.

Most Valuable Player: LeBron James is the unquestioned MVP of the league so far this season, and don't count on that changing. The Cavaliers have the best record in basketball, and while they don't have the most talented or dominant team, they would be nowhere without James.

It is worth noting that in any other season, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, or Carmelo Anthony would be a valid MVP choice. However, bank on LeBron taking home the award for the second straight year.

Rookie of the Year: Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings has been the most consistently producing rookie this season, and is doing so at a very high level averaging around twenty points per game. While the Kings are still not a playoff team, they are one win away from matching last season's win total of 17 and there is still half of a season remaining.

While Milwaukee Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings may be the flashier choice after a 50 point game early in the season, he has fallen off in the second quarter of the season and the Bucks have as well.

Coach of the Year: While there are many teams with fantastic records who have coaches that are very deserving of this award, it belongs to Rockets coach Rick Adelman. The fact that he has this team in the playoff race to this point despite such a depleted roster speaks volumes about his coaching ability. He has found other players capable of filling the void left by Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming being out.

However, if the Rockets were to fall off in the second half of the season, it could go to Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks who has done a fantastic job in putting the Thunder franchise in position for potentially its first playoff berth.

Originally Published: Issue 863 - February 3, 2010

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