NBA: Midseason Awards

Photo Credit: Noah Graham – Getty Images

The NBA has hit its midway point and the year has definitely been filled with surprises. The much expected domination of the Cleveland Cavaliers has not happened, instead the Atlanta Hawks are taking over the Eastern Conference. Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose returned to the court (though Kobe just reinjured himself) and many players are having breakout seasons. With that, six of the members on the ISN Staff presents its 2014 midseason NBA awards:

Most Valuable Player: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors (5)

Most Improved Player: Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls (5)

The obvious choice for the Most Improved Player of the Year is Jimmy Butler. The young forward has finally made the step up from good to elite. He is currently shooting 46 percent from the field with 20.5 points, six rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, all of which are career highs. Butler struggled shooting the ball last season and only put up 13 points per game in 38.7 minutes. He was relied on heavily for his defensive ability as well as his short spurts of offense, but he fell short of expectations. However, this year, he is doing much better in 39.4 minutes per game, doing it all: score, rebound, pass, and play defense.

Other vote(s): Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans (1)

Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans (5)

Anthony Davis should be Defensive Player of the Year for several reasons. For starters, he is averaging 2.9 blocks and a steal a game. That alone gives a great impact for the New Orleans Pelicans. Then you have to factor in the fear he puts into offensive players. Not even the NBA’s brightest stars can take on Davis without getting swatted or forced into a bad shot. He’s also averaging 7.8 defensive boards per contest. That is good production. This award is between Davis and Deandre Jordan in my mind, and A.D.’s total dominance over Jordan puts this away for him. Marc Gasol is also known for his dominance on the defensive side of the ball, always being a contender for the award, but Davis should win unanimously.

Other vote(s): Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies (1)

Rookie of the Year: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves (6)

Coach of the Year: Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks (6)

Mike Budenholzer is an easy choice for Coach of the Year right now, transforming a Hawks team that went 38-44 last season to an Eastern Conference best 36-8 this year. He spent 17 seasons behind Spurs legend Gregg Poppovich, and has brought the Spurs way of play to Atlanta. The Hawks lead the NBA in opponents points per game and assists percentage on made shots. Budenholzer has done a remarkable job.

Comeback Player of the Year: Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls (3)

There are a lot of people that made a good comeback this season from a completely awful last season, ranging from Kobe Bryant to Al Horford to Derrick Rose, but my pick to win comeback player of the year is Derrick Rose. Last season, analysts said that it was going to a break out season for the Chicago Bulls that was until Rose suffered another injury. In a game versus Portland Trail Blazers, MRIs showed that Rose had a torn meniscus in his right knee shutting him down for the entire season. Adding to the injury history he has been dealing with ever since 2011-2012 season. This season for Rose has been a great one bouncing back from all of his injuries and silencing all his critics, who were saying that he was done and he was too injury prone to ever come back to the form he was at during the 2010 season. In 33 games this season, he averaged 18.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. Rose has been impressive this season and has his scoring touch back. Rose is the perfect option, as he has returned with dominance, playing almost every game unlike the runner-up Kobe Bryant.

Other vote(s): Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (2), Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks (1)