This morning I submitted by annual awards ballot to the NBA office. As has been my custom in the past, I am posting my votes. Many voters keep theirs secret, but I am voting on behalf of the fans and I shouldn’t be if I’m not willing to share.
I don’t get a vote on every award, the NBA selects who votes on what, but I did have an MVP and Rookie of the Year vote.
Here it is:
Most Valuable Player
1. Steve Nash, Suns
2. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavs
3. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
4. LeBron James, Cavs
5. Tim Duncan, Spurs
I know this is Dirk’s year and he’s probably going to win it. Unlike other awards, the NBA does not give criteria for how this honor should be judged. It is simply for the "most valuable player." I firmly believe, as I did two years ago, that Nash is that player. His stats are fantastic, of course, but his contribution to the Suns style of play and success in unquestioned and he seems to only get better. I wrestled whether to put LeBron fourth, fifth or off the ballot. I put him ahead of Duncan because Duncan is not on my first team All-League as you’ll see below. I also gave serious consideration to Tracy McGrady as well.
Last year (you can see that ballot here) I gave LeBron my first place vote. I thought this would be the year he’d win it, but he turned out not to be close. I suspect after finishing second last year, LeBron will be totally left off lots of ballots this year. We’ll see if that motivates him.
Rookie of the Year
1. Brandon Roy, Blazers
2. Andrea Bargnani, Raptors
3. Rudy Gay, Grizzlies
Sort of a no-brainer. Roy impressed me a great deal in summer league last year and again when I saw him in person this season. He was great when the Blazers smashed the Cavs in Portland in January. Also, I think Rudy Gay has great upside and he didn’t get much notice this year because he was on the worst team in the league.
Most Improved Player
1. Al Jefferson, Celtics
2. Monta Ellis, Warriors
3. Sasha Pavlovic, Cavs
This will get the most debate, there’s probably about a dozen players who deserve a vote. I think Jefferson is on his way to being a beast and a future All-Star with Dwight Howard in the East. I thought about Luol Deng with my third place vote, but decided to go with Sasha because no one else will vote for him and I think he’s deserving. In my opinion, Kevin Martin of Sacramento, who may win it, actually made his big jump last season, not this year. I also considered voting for Linas Kleiza of the Denver Nuggets, who I predict will have a massive year next year even though, like Martin, he made his major strides this season.
Defensive Player of the Year
1. Bruce Bowen, Spurs
2. Ben Wallace, Bulls
3. Marcus Camby, Nuggets
I am voting for Bowen and Wallace largely for their body of work. Bowen is due to win it, Wallace took a bit of a step back overall this season. I love Ruben Patterson of the Bucks as a defender, I am high on Greg Buckner of the Mavs, and was impressed this season by Ime Udoka of the Blazers among others. But none bump out these top three I don’t think.
All-NBA Teams
First team
G – Steve Nash, Suns
G – Kobe Bryant, Lakers
C – Shaquille O’Neal, Heat
F – Dirk Nowitzki, Mavs
F – LeBron James, Cavs
Only tough call was at center, but I give Shaq credit for lifting the Heat when Dwyane Wade went down. LeBron had a bit of a down year compared to last season, but he’s the best small forward in the game.
Second team
G – Dwyane Wade, Heat
G – Tracy McGrady, Rockets
C – Yao Ming, Rockets
F – Carlos Boozer, Jazz
F – Tim Duncan, Spurs
I debated between Carlos Boozer and Chris Bosh for second team, but tilted it when I considered overall conference toughness.
Third Team
G – Gilbert Arenas, Wizards
G – Chauncey Billups, Pistons
C – Amare Stoudemire, Suns
F – Chris Bosh, Raptors
F – Kevin Garnett, Timberwolves
Last year I left off Arenas in favor of Vince Carter. I did the opposite this year. Also, I was upset at Garnett last year because it appeared as if he’d quit on his team down the stretch and left him off. It will foolish to do so and I will not make the same mistake this year. He made it over Josh Howard.
I regret not finding a place for Luol Deng of the Bulls, who may make it next year. I also really wanted to get Deron Williams on there. I’m super high on that guy, he’s going to be a regular All-Star starting perhaps next year. Also couldn’t get Shawn Marion on, he’s deserving as well.
Also, there’s no Allen Iverson. He did what he had to do, but I don’t like players demanding trades. Even if that was what the 76ers wanted. I held a grudge against Carter on this for awhile.
{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }
Solid ballot, not much to complain about. I also like Nash as the MVP, for the way he and the Suns handles the Mavs this year alone. I have a sneaking sucspicion that LeBron may not get First Team All-NBA. It seems most of the MSM blame him for all the Cavs transgressions, though they are still in a great position to win 50….
FTS
http://www.fearthesword.com
What happened to our boy Carmelo? He is
better offensively than anybody on 2nd
and 3rd team but I guess that rock em
sock em robots bit hurt him alot. I think
he is ready for the Spanish bullfighting
team instead of the all defensive team also.
i truly believe that since the icon was robbed of the mvp last year he should win it this year just to show how ludicrous the voting system is.
I didn’t think that Steve Nash deserved his last two MVPs, which makes it difficult for me to support him for this year’s award. Nash won his first MVP because his team had the best record, not because he was the best player in the league. He won last year because too many people didn’t want to give LeBron James the award when they “only” won 50 games. Since wins were so important in helping Nash win his first two awards, the Mavericks’ impressive season should do the same for Dirk Nowitzki. I know there’s not a set standard for MVP voting, but I encourage any type of consistency.
That being said, I support Brian’s decision, because he has a history of not letting the overall record severely impact his vote. So if he thinks that Steve Nash was the most valuable player, I don’t have much to say about that. And at least he makes his votes public.
The Suns would still be good without Nash, Dirk deserves this one if Lebron is getting the screws again. I still think the Cavs would miss the playoffs without LBJ – not true of the others (cept Kobe)
Can you add some categories…
Stupidest Poster On This Blog
1. Alan Tucker *
* unanimous decision
what has 36mins 1-6fg 0-2 3pt, 1-4 ft, 2 reb, 4 to, 2 stls, 1 blk and 3pts. you give up. okay LUKE JACKSON STATS FOR THE GAME AGAINST THE PISTONS TONIGHT. GOODBYE AND GOOD RIDDANCE MR. JACKSON.
Yeah, I second JustAFan. Or JoeHoops. Or whoever. That Tucker guy is stoopid!
Brian, that is truly a rational, sound and cerebral explanation for a totally unbiased Cleveland Cavaliers beat reporter to vote for Sasha Pavlovic: “Because no one else will vote for him.” Big ups to the journalism profession.
Hey we beat the Philadelphia 76ers wo
AI,AI2,Korver, Hal Greer, and Wilt. Great
tuneup for the defending champs. Oh by
the way Wade and Posey are going on the
DL, the definite list. Whats the spread
on Chicago tonight. Oh well that game in
Boston was meaningless.
Dear Just a Homer:
What is the definition of stupidest.
1) Is it a city in Chekeslovokia?
2) Is it the decisions of MPH?
3) Is it that house in Bath?
4) Is it the capitol of Romania?
Is that your final answer?
Nash has to be the MVP. The suns play beautiful basketball and he is the architect. When he doesn’t play, they suck. Look it up. How is Kobe on the ballot? The Lakers are in danger of missing the playoffs. Theyve played lousy ball for the last two months, which coincides with Jelly Bean’s magnanimous decision to start jacking 35 shots a game. Lebron doesnt deserve it this year. Reasons have all been previously stated, i.e. a player is required to not blow off the first half of a season. And Shaq over Yao Ming? That’s insane. The diesel averages 17 and 8 these days. Those are kevin duckworth numbers baby. Give it to the nappy haired chinaman.
Doc,
Yao played half the season, too.
I think the Sixers’ Iguodala deserves consideration for most improved player. Since AI left, he and Dalembert have made that team seem fairly promising.
I like Pavlovic, but it’s a joke to put him up there. Does he even average 10 pts. a game?
I can say I agree with your MVP voting completely. Let’s hope that LeBron’s deserved nosedive in the balloting this year does propel him in the playoffs.
I have just one question. If Bargnani never got hurt do you think he would have pulled ahead or at least made it a tight race for ROY? I think so. He was really starting to put it together. Nice job on 850 yesterday.
I don’t agree with the MVP stuff. If you take Nash off his team, they are still a contender. Same with Dirk and the Mavs. But if you take Lebron off the Cavs, they would be in the running for Oden next year.
Lebron is clearly the MVP in my book.
the kobe thing blows my freakin’ mind. do nba writers have any idea what mvp means? it DOES not mean “best player,” “best scorer,” etc. jeebus, why is this so hard to get? kobe is a spectacular scorer. so was george gervin. and any number of players throughout league history. yet, kobe’s lakers are playing .500 ball! LBJ, by the fact that his team won 50 games (and might be the 2 seed) and his HISTORIC numbers deseves to be on the ballot. probably 4th behind dirk, nash and mcgrady. kobe is AT least behind all those guys and duncan and shaq and boozer, etc.
it’s so disappointing that these nba media-types ( and espn employess, naturally, are the worst. followed closely by SI ) turn into fawning school girls when a guy scores 50. what makes it all the more ridiculous is that these are the same jaded types who are always poo-pooing us fans who deal in hyperbole talking about a particualr player or team. because, ya see, they’re jaded, seen-it-all basketball experts who notice the subtle aspects of a game and season that none of us mere fans could ever hope to grasp. yet, when it comes to kobe, they might as well be the girl who wept over sanjaya on american idol, fer chrissakes!
let me say this slowly. LBJ. is. a. MUCH. better. PLAYER. than. kobe. is.
yeah KJ is right BW the only thing Kobe
does better than Lebron is gun from outside
and the Lakers are 500. Now here is a bigger
problem. How do you put a spectactular
and I mean spectacular talent like Wade
on the second team. And why is Duncan who
is better than Lebron or Nowitzki on the
second team? Also where is Rip Hamilton?
Good bet that one of their teams is going
to be in the finals. Nowitzki is a notorius
choker when it comes to playoffs. Lebron
tries to do everything himself and as such
is not valuable in those situations. And
Hamilton will outrun and outhustle just
about anybody. Wade can win a championship by himself he did it in 2006 and Duncan
has won two without another superstar on
that team. This is the MVP team of the
regular season which don’t matter in the
big scheme of things. You’ll see in about
2 months.
Little Billy and Tucker:
Please post your MVP awards.
Most vinegar and piss.
Oh, come on, kj. The Lakers’ record in the West equates to the Cavaliers’ record in the pathetic East. It’s not even worth debating…Plus, the Lakers had Odom and Brown with shoulders and various pieces of their bodies falling off, and Mihm was out all year. Odom is pretty good, and granted, Brown and Mihm are not exactly Chamberlain and Russell, but a fact is a fact.
The Cavs were, for all intents and purposes, completely healthy all year. If players on the Cavaliers had gotten hurt, you would have read the ABJ’s beat writer and columnist barfing out the excuse everyday.
Ferry has put together a team that is capped out, both in salary and in potential victories. No injuries, no excuses. It a f*cking shame and a travesty when you consider what they could have had if money had been spent wisely.
If they play the Nets, the very definition of mediocrity, after the Cavs win that series, you’ll read eye-rolling nonsense in the Beacon Journal that makes it sound like Queen’s “We Are the Champions” was written with Ferry in mind.
I demand that Mike Brown immediately resign so that ALAN TUCKER, the legend, can begin coaching the Cavs. He seems to know EXACTLY WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE. He should quit wasting his time posting nonsense on this blog, and instead devote all of his time to bringing an NBA title to Cleveland.
GO ALAN!!!!
Do you cut study hall, JoeHoops? I used to do a lot of that, too.
tucker, on this point are COMPLETELY ignorant. a team with 50 wins does not in the least “equate” with a 40-win team. why? well, how about the FACT that the cavs had the BEST record of ANY eastern conf. team against the western conf.! gee, that kinda blows a hole in your theory, huh? see, that means that the cavs would not, according to the numbers, actually have any particular problem beating western conf. teams. CERTAINLY they would’ve won more than the lakers. in fact, considering they beat houston the last time the two teams played, i think the cavs would be battling for the 4th seed in the west, no doubt.
Huh? Where’d you whip up that theory? How does playing 30 games mean anything…what was their record against the West? Pretty damn poor for a SECOND seed. I repeat, second. That’s one less than first. Being the best of the worst against the best conference ain’t something to brag about. All it says is that the East really sucks. If Cleveland had to play the good Western teams four times each, they’d be lucky for Joey Crawford to even notice them long enough to themselves tossed.
Left out the word ‘get’ in “get themselves tossed.”
well, i actually used FACTS and NUMBERS to “whip up” my theory. what the hell exactly did you use? it does NOT stand to reason that if the cavs played (remember you play teams in your division 4 times. other teams you play 3 times) one or two more games against western conference teams that their record would be any different. that is the point! yes, the eastern is weaker at the top, as dallas and phoenix are clearly better than the cavs and detriot and san antonio is right there as well, though the cavs SWEPT them this year. but the NUMBERS show that the cavs would be among the top four teams in the west MOST LIKELY.
jeebus, tucker, even you are smart enough to see this point, right?
id put chauncey billups in the all-NBA second team as pointe guard or may be even the all-NBA first team over NASH. the people who voted were in love with the west they probably hate the EAST.