(Best E Casino) - Hard to believe, but another NBA season is about to enter the history books. The 2007-08 campaign was full of big trades, standout performances and plenty of surprises.
Who deserves the hardware for MVP, Rookie of the Year and the other awards that recognize the NBA's finest during the regular season?
Here is one analyst's selections for this year's winners of the awards that will be handed out by the NBA during the 2008 playoffs.
MVP: CHRIS PAUL (NEW ORLEANS HORNETS)
This is not a misprint. Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James have all turned in excellent seasons, but Paul is the 2007-08 NBA MVP. That's right, the starting point guard for the Hornets has been the best player in the league during the regular season.
Paul leads the Hornets in scoring (21.2 ppg) and assists (11.5 apg), and is the main reason why his squad has been one of the league's biggest surprises this season. He has that special ability to make his teammates better with his unbelievable all-around skills - playing solid defense, scoring the big bucket and making the spectacular pass. The 22-year-old Wake Forest product has done it all during the regular season, and turned New Orleans into one of the top teams in the league.
HONORABLE MENTION: KOBE BRYANT (LOS ANGELES LAKERS), KEVIN GARNETT (BOSTON CELTICS), MANU GINOBILI (SAN ANTONIO SPURS), LEBRON JAMES (CLEVELAND CAVALIERS), TRACY MCGRADY (HOUSTON ROCKETS).
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: KEVIN DURANT (SEATTLE SUPERSONICS)
This year's rookie crop took a big hit when Portland's Greg Oden, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 draft, went down with a serious knee injury that cost him his entire year. Still, Seattle selected Texas' Durant with the second selection, and has to be thrilled with its early return.
The 19-year-old Durant, who is the SuperSonics' leading scorer (20.0 ppg), has been the top rookie during the 2007-08 season. Seattle is a team that is in the beginning stages of the rebuilding process, yet Durant's play has not gone unnoticed. The former Longhorn is a future All-Star, and proved during his rookie season that he has what it takes to play against the best in the NBA. Durant is an offensive machine, and is the cornerstone of the franchise.
HONORABLE MENTION: AL HORFORD (ATLANTA HAWKS), LUIS SCOLA (HOUSTON ROCKETS) AND AL THORNTON (LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS).
COACH OF THE YEAR: BYRON SCOTT (NEW ORLEANS HORNETS)
There are many deserving candidates for this honor, but Scott gets the hardware for transforming a team that had failed to reach the 40-victory plateau in his first three years on the job to an elite-level NBA surprise.
Under the ex-Laker guard's leadership, the Hornets have set a franchise record for wins this season (55 as of Thursday) and are headed to the playoffs for the first time since the 2003-04 campaign. They are at the top of their division, and currently own a slim lead over the Lakers atop the rugged Western Conference.
HONORBALE MENTION: RICK ADELMAN (HOUSTON ROCKETS), MAURICE CHEEKS (PHILADELPHIA 76ERS), PHIL JACKSON (LOS ANGELES LAKERS), DOC RIVERS (BOSTON CELTICS), STAN VAN GUNDY (ORLANDO MAGIC).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: SHANE BATTIER (HOUSTON ROCKETS)
Battier was one of the unsung heroes during Houston's historic 22-game winning streak, and has been one of the Rockets' most consistent players throughout the season. He regularly matches up against one of the opposition's top scorers and has built a reputation as a shut-down defender by making his opponent work hard for everything.
Battier does not put up big numbers on the stat sheet, as he is averaging a modest 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds. However, the versatile forward is a strong perimeter defender who can also defend in the low post. The Duke product does the things that go unnoticed, but are necessary to win games, and inasmuch is deserving of Defensive Player of the Year honors.
HONORABLE MENTION: BRUCE BOWEN (SAN ANTONIO SPURS), MARCUS CAMBY (DENVER NUGGETS), KEVIN GARNETT (BOSTON CELTICS), JOSH SMITH (ATLANTA HAWKS).
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER: DANNY GRANGER (INDIANA PACERS)
Playing in just his third season, the 25-year-old Granger arrived this season. The New Mexico product is averaging a team-best 18.9 points per game (up from 13.9 in 2006-07), has grabbed 6.0 rebounds per contest and is shooting 44.0 percent from the floor, including a career-best 39.3 percent from beyond the arc. The development of an outside game has been the revelation, allowing the forward to become a complete player.
The 6-8 Granger, the No. 17 pick in the 2005 draft, represents the future of NBA basketball in Indiana. Former All-Star Jermaine O'Neal is getting older and may be moved in the offseason, and the emergence of Granger will make it easier for the Pacers to trade O'Neal.
HONORABLE MENTION: JOSE CALDERON (TORONTO RAPTORS), MIKE DUNLEAVY (INDIANA PACERS), LINAS KLEIZA (DENVER NUGGETS), HEDO TURKOGLU (ORLANDO MAGIC), LOUIS WILLIAMS (PHILADELPHIA 76ERS).
SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR: MANU GINOBILI (SAN ANTONIO SPURS)
Ginobili could start on any team in the league, and is good enough to merit some votes for MVP, though Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich relies on the 6-6 guard to give him instant offense off the bench. When the Spurs start slow or need an emotional or offensive spark, the 30-year-old Argentine invariably comes through, one reason why he owns three championship rings. This season, Ginobili is averaging a team-best 19.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
If the Spurs (53-25 and tied for fourth in the West heading into Friday's games) are able to make a serious run at their fourth title in seven years, Ginobili will be a major reason why.
HONORABLE MENTION: LEANDRO BARBOSA (PHOENIX SUNS), LINAS KLEIZA (DENVER NUGGETS), KYLE KORVER (UTAH JAZZ).
EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR: DANNY AINGE (BOSTON CELTICS)
This one is simple. Ainge was able to put together a roster with All-Stars Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce on it, and improved upon that core group by adding swingman James Posey last offseason and veteran guard Sam Cassell during the year. The ex-Celtics great was able to piece together a team that is a serious contender for the NBA title, and was able to do it in relatively short order.
The Celtics also set an NBA record for the biggest single-season turnaround, with a record of 62-16 to date after finishing the 2006-07 campaign with a 24-58 record.
Boston has been the best team in the league from the opening tip this season, making Ainge the clear-cut winner here.
HONORABLE MENTION: OTIS SMITH (ORLANDO MAGIC).
