|
|
SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- Mike Dunleavy for Coach of the Year? Karl Malone MVP? Darrell Armstrong got most improved and the sixth man? Oh and I can't even remember the guy who got executive of the year. All I want to know is who's picking these award winners in the NBA? I didn't have any of these names on my ballot sheet.
True enough I did have the opportunity to pick a few people for awards this year and I'll be honest, I picked a few Spurs players. The two players I picked deserved the awards and I thought that Pop should have gotten coach of the year and Peter Holt should receive exec of the year. There were several reasons for this but the main was because they all deserved them. Yet because the NBA wanted everything in by May 2nd, what we will see are players outshining those who received their little tin trophies.
So who did I pick for the awards that I voted on? Well take a look below and see if you agree. If not, hey e-mail me or better yet, drop your comments in the Soapbox. You never know, I just might check them out myself.
J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award: This award is given to the player, executive or sports trainer who has done an outstanding job in the community where they live. This year I voted for Avery Johnson. Avery has been doing an outstanding job on the court but off the court he has given those who were less fortunate his time and donated thousands to charity.
MVP: A no brainer. Tim Duncan was my choice. Tim led the league in double doubles again in only his second season but more importantly he consistently was in the top ten in five different categories.
Most Improved Player: I'll give that one Charlotte's Eddie Jones. Jones was traded to Charlotte in the Glenn Rice trade yet what Jones was able to do was actually improve his new team. His scoring was up. His assists were up. Other players around him had better games. Because he improved his team, he improved himself.
Coach of the Year. I'll be honest I thought Gregg Popovich deserved it but I actually took Larry Brown slightly over Pop for one reason; he got Philly to the playoffs in just his second year as the coach. Pop has Tim, David and everybody else. The Spurs don't have a coach, they have a manager. Larry Brown has taught the 76ers how to win games.
Executive of the Year: Peter Holt. Yes I think Holt deserves this award. Look at what he has assembled and then compare his team to others in the league. What do other teams do in the community and for the fans?
Sixth Man: Will Malik Rose please stand up. Rose has made a tremendous difference to the Spurs bench this year. Besides dropping 22 points in Philly in the regular season, he has been instrumental in some very key games. It would be very safe to say that without his hustle and energy, the Spurs may not be in the position they are in now.
By Gregory Moore
