Post by donatello2424 on Mar 15, 2009 19:03:54 GMT -5
*Stats are from day 60 (for the most part)
Washington, D.C., Mar. 15, 2009- Who is gonna win what?
It is that time again. It is the mid-point of the season. That means All-Star festivities and my predictions for award winners. We will see some familiar faces, and some new ones.
MVP: Michael Jordan
-What? No Dream? While I feel my center will win the award, I want some flavor. Jordan is the league’s leading scorer, puts up almost 8 rpg, and 2nd in spg for shooting guards. I feel that he will take over to be the leading spg shooting guard and will continue to hold onto the scoring title. Dream is of course his biggest competitor. Dream is 2nd in ppg, 1st in rpg, and 1st in bpg, however he is not pulling away with the last two categories and that will hurt him.
Jordan wins his first MVP
Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon
-This is one award that is Dream’s for the taking. Leading the league in blocks per game is impressive, but he is also leading the top 4 bpg guys in steals as well, securing his place up top. However point guard Gary Payton could make a run at it. Leading the league in steals per game, Payton is a master at steals. However Dream ability to block and steal the ball pushes him ahead of the one-dimensional Payton.
After losing out on 1 three-peat, Hakeem takes the DPOTY one
Rookie of the Year: P.J. Brown
-This is one award that is very hotly contested. There have been 3 different rookie of the months. I decided to go with Brown. Brown provides the scoring that Mourning does not and that puts him over the edge. Brown is putting up a double-double and is averaging a 1-1 in steals and blocks (at least 1 steal and 1 block). However his percentages could kill his hopes of making it here. If that is the case, then Mourning isn’t even the second favorite. Timberwolves point guard Nick Van Exel will likely take the award averaging around 15 ppg, 6.5 apg, and 2 topg. His percentages are better, and that is exactly what can take him over the top. I think this award is very close and 3 different players could easily win it without there being a big hoopla over a player getting shafted.
Flat topping it
All-League
Center: Hakeem Olajuwon
-The DPOTY is also 2nd in the league in ppg, which is more than enough to get him a place here.
Dream machine, Dream machine
Power Forward: Karl Malone
-The early favorite to win MVP honors has fallen off since his trade to the Hornets due to sharing of the ball, but he is still the best power forward. 3rd in rpg for power forwards, as well as 3rd overall in ppg (1st for power forwards), gives him the honor.
Flex it!
Small Forward: Glen Rice
-With last year’s winner Vernon Maxwell moving to the shooting guard position, Rice is able to slip in here. Rice is 4th in ppg with just under 31. No other small forward is even close, so that should tell you something. What could hold Rice back is his defensive capabilities, or lack thereof. But with no one else close to him in scoring, his defense shouldn’t matter.
Most pictures are his mugshot
Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan
-The MVP, no explanation needed.
Hi
Point Guard: Joe Dumars
-A first timer. Michael Adams has had a stranglehold on this position for the past couple of years, but he is having a downy ear. Lower than normal ppg along with his high turnovers and worse percentages gives Dumars the advantage. Yes Dumars scores less and has less steals, but he is a slightly better assisting point guard, has much lower turnovers, and shoots better percentages across the board. If Adams was having a killer scoring season, then he would be here. But he isn’t, so he isn’t.
All-Defensive Team
Center: Hakeem Olajuwon
-No explanation needed. The DPOTY deserves a spot on the All-Defensive team.
The number
Power Forward: Mark West
-No Larry Nance? He has taken on a more of a scoring load and as a result is seeing his defensive stats taking a downward turn. West is second in bpg along with many others, but he is the only power forward of that group. It is good West can block shots, cause he sucks on the offensive end of the floor.
Small Forward: Lionel Simmons
-I hate doing All-Defensive for small forward. I was even tempted to move Maxwell to the position just so I could put him here. Pippen won the award last year, but was moved to the shooting guard position. Simmons was 2nd team all-defense so he gets the starting nod. 1.7 spg along with 1 bpg enters him into that 1-1 club with Dream. He is a major part why last season the Braves did well in the playoffs. This year the result are not the same but he is still a solid defensive wing.
L-Train!
Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan
Will MJ retire to play baseball?
-Usually a no contest, Jordan has some competition this year. Before this last sim it would have been Maxwell and his higher steals per game, however Jordan narrowed that gap resulting in him getting the nod over Maxwell due to his blocks per game. Jordan needs to keep up the steals, because if he slacks off, Maxwell is there.
Point Guard: Gary Payton
-As I mentioned before, Payton is in consideration for defensive player of the year. Top steals of anyone gets him the nod here. Here is a surprising fact, #2 in spg and Payton’s only competition is Muggsy Bogues. That’s not the fact, here it is. He is beating Payton is bpg with 0.3 to .02. Bogues is 5’3”, Payton is 6’4”.
The Glove
All-Rookie Team
Center: Alonzo Mourning
-Zo is one of the rookie of the year contenders. While he isn’t a great scorer, he makes up for it on the defensive side of the court. 2.8 bpg puts him in the top 5 there and as he continues to improve he will likely win some defensive player of the year awards.
Power Forward: P.J. Brown
-Of course the rookie of the year is here. The double-double rookie looks to be a solid player.
Small Forward: Jamal Mashburn
-The “bust” gets a spot after being traded from Charlotte to Atlanta. Averaging around 14 ppg, Mashburn looks to be the future of the Hawks with fellow rookie Latrell Sprewell, but one needs to be moved to small forward as a permanent place.
Shooting Guard: Harold Miner
-After a great training camp where he greatly improve his major weakness, his defense, Miner is now putting up solid numbers for the Lakers. 15 ppg is a very nice start, however he can’t seem to hit the 3 ball. He needs to work on that to be a legit threat. If the Lakers want to contend for a title soon they will need him to turn it up while Adams still has some left in the tank.
Point Guard: Nick Van Exel
-The guy who may just win the rookie of the year award (I wanted to put him there but I had already wrote a good bit about Brown), is here. Terrell Brandon got the start in the rookie-sophomore game, but I think van Exel takes it here.
Van Exel and Barkley should be on the same team, they look similar
Washington, D.C., Mar. 15, 2009- Who is gonna win what?
It is that time again. It is the mid-point of the season. That means All-Star festivities and my predictions for award winners. We will see some familiar faces, and some new ones.
MVP: Michael Jordan
-What? No Dream? While I feel my center will win the award, I want some flavor. Jordan is the league’s leading scorer, puts up almost 8 rpg, and 2nd in spg for shooting guards. I feel that he will take over to be the leading spg shooting guard and will continue to hold onto the scoring title. Dream is of course his biggest competitor. Dream is 2nd in ppg, 1st in rpg, and 1st in bpg, however he is not pulling away with the last two categories and that will hurt him.
Jordan wins his first MVP
Defensive Player of the Year: Hakeem Olajuwon
-This is one award that is Dream’s for the taking. Leading the league in blocks per game is impressive, but he is also leading the top 4 bpg guys in steals as well, securing his place up top. However point guard Gary Payton could make a run at it. Leading the league in steals per game, Payton is a master at steals. However Dream ability to block and steal the ball pushes him ahead of the one-dimensional Payton.
After losing out on 1 three-peat, Hakeem takes the DPOTY one
Rookie of the Year: P.J. Brown
-This is one award that is very hotly contested. There have been 3 different rookie of the months. I decided to go with Brown. Brown provides the scoring that Mourning does not and that puts him over the edge. Brown is putting up a double-double and is averaging a 1-1 in steals and blocks (at least 1 steal and 1 block). However his percentages could kill his hopes of making it here. If that is the case, then Mourning isn’t even the second favorite. Timberwolves point guard Nick Van Exel will likely take the award averaging around 15 ppg, 6.5 apg, and 2 topg. His percentages are better, and that is exactly what can take him over the top. I think this award is very close and 3 different players could easily win it without there being a big hoopla over a player getting shafted.
Flat topping it
All-League
Center: Hakeem Olajuwon
-The DPOTY is also 2nd in the league in ppg, which is more than enough to get him a place here.
Dream machine, Dream machine
Power Forward: Karl Malone
-The early favorite to win MVP honors has fallen off since his trade to the Hornets due to sharing of the ball, but he is still the best power forward. 3rd in rpg for power forwards, as well as 3rd overall in ppg (1st for power forwards), gives him the honor.
Flex it!
Small Forward: Glen Rice
-With last year’s winner Vernon Maxwell moving to the shooting guard position, Rice is able to slip in here. Rice is 4th in ppg with just under 31. No other small forward is even close, so that should tell you something. What could hold Rice back is his defensive capabilities, or lack thereof. But with no one else close to him in scoring, his defense shouldn’t matter.
Most pictures are his mugshot
Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan
-The MVP, no explanation needed.
Hi
Point Guard: Joe Dumars
-A first timer. Michael Adams has had a stranglehold on this position for the past couple of years, but he is having a downy ear. Lower than normal ppg along with his high turnovers and worse percentages gives Dumars the advantage. Yes Dumars scores less and has less steals, but he is a slightly better assisting point guard, has much lower turnovers, and shoots better percentages across the board. If Adams was having a killer scoring season, then he would be here. But he isn’t, so he isn’t.
All-Defensive Team
Center: Hakeem Olajuwon
-No explanation needed. The DPOTY deserves a spot on the All-Defensive team.
The number
Power Forward: Mark West
-No Larry Nance? He has taken on a more of a scoring load and as a result is seeing his defensive stats taking a downward turn. West is second in bpg along with many others, but he is the only power forward of that group. It is good West can block shots, cause he sucks on the offensive end of the floor.
Small Forward: Lionel Simmons
-I hate doing All-Defensive for small forward. I was even tempted to move Maxwell to the position just so I could put him here. Pippen won the award last year, but was moved to the shooting guard position. Simmons was 2nd team all-defense so he gets the starting nod. 1.7 spg along with 1 bpg enters him into that 1-1 club with Dream. He is a major part why last season the Braves did well in the playoffs. This year the result are not the same but he is still a solid defensive wing.
L-Train!
Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan
Will MJ retire to play baseball?
-Usually a no contest, Jordan has some competition this year. Before this last sim it would have been Maxwell and his higher steals per game, however Jordan narrowed that gap resulting in him getting the nod over Maxwell due to his blocks per game. Jordan needs to keep up the steals, because if he slacks off, Maxwell is there.
Point Guard: Gary Payton
-As I mentioned before, Payton is in consideration for defensive player of the year. Top steals of anyone gets him the nod here. Here is a surprising fact, #2 in spg and Payton’s only competition is Muggsy Bogues. That’s not the fact, here it is. He is beating Payton is bpg with 0.3 to .02. Bogues is 5’3”, Payton is 6’4”.
The Glove
All-Rookie Team
Center: Alonzo Mourning
-Zo is one of the rookie of the year contenders. While he isn’t a great scorer, he makes up for it on the defensive side of the court. 2.8 bpg puts him in the top 5 there and as he continues to improve he will likely win some defensive player of the year awards.
Power Forward: P.J. Brown
-Of course the rookie of the year is here. The double-double rookie looks to be a solid player.
Small Forward: Jamal Mashburn
-The “bust” gets a spot after being traded from Charlotte to Atlanta. Averaging around 14 ppg, Mashburn looks to be the future of the Hawks with fellow rookie Latrell Sprewell, but one needs to be moved to small forward as a permanent place.
Shooting Guard: Harold Miner
-After a great training camp where he greatly improve his major weakness, his defense, Miner is now putting up solid numbers for the Lakers. 15 ppg is a very nice start, however he can’t seem to hit the 3 ball. He needs to work on that to be a legit threat. If the Lakers want to contend for a title soon they will need him to turn it up while Adams still has some left in the tank.
Point Guard: Nick Van Exel
-The guy who may just win the rookie of the year award (I wanted to put him there but I had already wrote a good bit about Brown), is here. Terrell Brandon got the start in the rookie-sophomore game, but I think van Exel takes it here.
Van Exel and Barkley should be on the same team, they look similar
