MIDSEASON CSL AWARDS
Ok, so we’re definitely past the mid-season but that term feels good with the All-Star break here. I’ve been quite inactive but obviously have had some time lately so I might as well capitalize on it and pump out a few articles. These ‘awards’ involved a lot of research and are purely my opinion because I don’t have the game and couldn’t get into some of the other analysis or awards that I would have liked. Hopefully some of you get super upset and disagree because a healthy debate is what it’s all about. Also, nobody wants to keep reading about the Utah Jazz, so here is a little something on the rest of the league. . .
Most Valuable Player
JAMES HARDEN – Houston Rockets
Hands down. There’s a lot of options here but ask yourself what this award truly is. That will vary depending on who you talk to but to me it’s how good a team is if said player is replaced with someone of the league average at their position. The Rockets, quite frankly, are not that good without Harden. They’ll be competitive but certainly wouldn’t have the league leading record. Some of the other top teams are doing it with a collectively solid unit and maybe a player or two that stand out. This dude is unstoppable though.
Others considered (in no particular order):
Kevin Durant – POR – Putting up otherworldly numbers but his team(s) just aren’t that good.
Paul George – ORL – Having another great year
Kemba Walker – DET – The leader for one of the leagues best units.
Lebron James – MIL – Until someone says otherwise, he’s still doing it all.
Anthony Davis – NOP – Talk about not being a good team without someone, wow. Runner-up for sure.
Rookie of the Year
STANLEY JOHNSON JR. – San Antonio Spurs
He’s running away with this award partly because he is getting the most time. To be fair, he is putting together some great numbers and was doing so alongside Kevin Durant until recently. Looking for rookie to consider was nearly impossible. I’m just glad I didn’t invest too much stock into last year’s draft – whooof.
Others considered (in no particular order):
DeAndre Bembry/Denzel Valentine/Terry Rozier – OKC – The Thunder trio are all playing very well.
Jahlil Okafor – DAL – He should do well because Dallas has nothing else, and he is.
Cameron Payne – GSW – The only true contender for the award outside of Johnson.
6th Man of the Year
BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC – Brooklyn Nets
The criteria for this award was anyone who has started less than 20% of their teams games. Bogdan Bogdan(ovic) has been stellar off the pine for the Nets and he hasn’t started a single game for them. He’s doing everything from scoring at a decent clip, rebounding and passing. He plays multiple positions for the surging Eastern conference team as well.
Others considered (in no particular order):
TJ Warren – TOR – Solid wing who is super-efficient and rebounds.
Wesley Matthews – BOS – Shooting great from deep and does a little of everything.
James Young – DET – On a team that doesn’t need a bench, Young makes things easier for everyone else.
Deron Williams – MIN – Was great for Sacramento off the bench, might start now in Minnesota.
Biggest Surprise Team
1st place Southeast [32-20]
Maybe it’s just me but I didn’t expect them to be this good. The additions of Jeremy Lin and, more recently, Carmelo Anthony have been huge. A lot of the good teams in this league don’t look great on paper but they all have the right fit – Charlotte seems to have found it. They might still be missing something to put them over the hump but they’ll be a dangerous team to play when it matters most.
Others considered (in no particular order):
Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee Bucks, Brooklyn Nets
2020, 2023, 2027, 2035