Dunk Base

With all 30 teams in the NBA having played at least 41 games, we have officially reached the halfway point of the season. It’s a good a time as any to dust off the NBA Mid-Season Awards. Leading off:

The Chris Webber Memorial “My Contract Is Murdering My Team’s Salary Structure Indefinitely” Award

3. Rashard Lewis, Washington; 3 years, $66.3 Million remaining
2. Michael Redd, Milwaukee; 1 year, $18.3 Million remaining
1. Joe Johnson, Atlanta; 6 years, $124 Million remaining

For the first time in three years, Gilbert Arenas no longer appears on this list. Now that he’s on a team that is committed to winning and has no problem paying the luxury tax, his bloated contract is no longer such an albatross. Replacing him is Joe Johnson. As I’ve said many times, any time you can pay a non-franchise player 150% of what he’s actually worth, you lock it down.

The Robert Horry Memorial “I’m Grossly Underpaid Because I Can Definitely Help You Win A Title” Award

(Note: Excludes players on rookie contracts. Otherwise the list would consist of Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, Blake Griffin, and Blake Griffin again)

3. Kendrick Perkins, Boston; 1 year, $4.4 Million remaining
2. Udonis Haslem, Miami; 5 years, $20.2 Million remaining
1. Ray Felton, New York; 2 years, $15 Million remaining

Perk and Haslem get bumped down because of their injuries, but they’re both proven playoff warriors. Felton might be the free agent steal of the summer. When he’s making $1.5 Million less than Kirk Hinrich over the next two years, as well as $2.8 Million less than Mo Williams, $3.5 Million less than Jose Calderon, $7 Million less than Jason Kidd, $12 Million less than Baron Davis, and $13 Million less than Chauncey Billups, you know you have a good contract.

The Nick Anderson Memorial “I’m Playing Significant Minutes On A Good Playoff Team, But I Might Self-Destruct At Any Minute” Award

3. Gilbert Arenas, Orlando
2. Ron Artest, Los Angeles
1. Chris Bosh, Miami

As much as I like Chris Bosh, the fact remains that he’s never played in an important game in his life. Also throw in that he always seems to play terribly against Kevin Garnett and seems to forget how to rebound when the money is on the table. If Miami’s 2011 title hopes rest on Chris Bosh being able to win his matchup, it could be a short playoff run for the Heat.

The P.J. Brown Memorial “The Casual Fan Might Not Know Me, But I Can Play Out Of My Mind And Swing A Game 7 In The Playoffs” Award

3. Shannon Brown, Los Angeles
2. George Hill, San Antonio
1. Nate Robinson, Boston; Glen Davis, Boston (tie)

I give the nod to Robinson and Davis because we’ve got pretty good evidence that they can swing a playoff game. It’s called Game 4 of the 2010 NBA Finals. Davis ended with 18 points on 7-10 shooting, Robinson added 12, and the Celtics pulled away at the start of the 4th quarter on a run spurred by their bench play, led by Davis and Robinson. Don’t sleep on George Hill, though. He came up huge in Games 4 (11-16 FG, 5-6 3PT, 29 Points) and 6 (7-12 FG, 2-4 3PT, 21 Points) of San Antonio’s Round 1 series against Dallas last year. He certainly has it in him.

The Bob McAdoo Memorial “Maybe I Could Have Helped You Win A Title At Some Point Over The Last 3 Years, But This Year, For Unexplainable Reasons, You Might As Well Just Take Me Out Behind The Arena And Shoot Me” Award

3. Jermaine O’Neal, Boston
2. Mike Bibby, Atlanta
1. Mike Miller, Miami

I’m putting Jermaine at #3 because I think there’s a good chance that he might actually be dead, and I don’t want to speak ill of the departed. And, to be honest, I’m not even sure if he could have helped a team win a title at any point over the last three years unless the title was for the team with the most players that have aged in dog years after their 29th birthday.

The 2007-2008 Warriors Memorial “You Thought We'd Take Another Leap, But Instead We Went Backward Because Expectations Were Too High, We Tinkered With Our Chemistry And Our Young Guys Tuned Out Their Coach" Award

It’s gotta be Milwaukee, right? I know the Brandon Jennings and Carlos Delfino injuries have screwed a few things up for them, but this is a team that went 46-36 last year, and supposedly addressed their biggest offensive issue (their inability to draw fouls and get cheap points from the free throw line). The problem was that they addressed that issue by signing Corey Maggette and Drew Gooden, which prevents any team from winning 50 games simply by those players being on the roster. You could have a team consist of Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Corey Maggette, Drew Gooden, and Hakeem Olajuwon, and I’m still pretty sure they’d only go 49-33.

The 2007-2008 Hornets Memorial “We Didn’t Think They’d Be Ready This Soon!” Award

To the Chicago Bulls. As I’ve written ad nauseum, elite point guards usually make their leap in Year 3. The parallels between the 2008 Hornets and the 2011 Bulls are pretty amazing. They’re built around an MVP candidate at point guard (Paul and Rose), a game-changing defensive presence at the 5 spot (Tyson Chandler and Joakim Noah), a scorer and banger at power forward (David West and Carlos Boozer), and a bunch of other role players.

My prediction for the 2011 Bulls: an eerily similar fate as the 2008 Hornets. Derrick Rose will deserve the MVP, but won’t win it because the media will vote for a more recognizable star that doesn’t totally deserve it (my guess: LeBron). In Round 1, they’ll play a more recognizable team that everyone assumes will cause them problems simply because they’re Team X (like people assumed with Dallas in 2008), but instead, Chicago will make quick work of them (my guess: The Knicks). Then they’ll have a hard-fought 7-game series with The Old Guard in their conference (like New Orleans did with San Antonio in ’08) that The Old Guard will win because Chicago isn’t quite there yet (my guess: Boston). But it’ll be fun while it lasts.

The 2008-2009 Cavaliers Memorial “We Knew This Team Had Talent And That They’d Be Relatively Competitive, But We Didn’t Know That They’d Be THIS Good” Award

It’s a bit weird, but doesn’t San Antonio deserve this award? The comparison isn’t perfect, because Cleveland was a team on the rise that came a little bit out of left field, while San Antonio is a team that people assumed would be on the decline, but instead they got healthy and left a trail of bodies behind them. In either case, nobody expected San Antonio to start the season 37-7 (on pace for 68 wins).

The fact that San Antonio is on pace to win 68 games and nobody is talking about this seems absolutely ridiculous. If a team like Miami or Los Angeles were 37-7 right now the talking heads on ESPN would have spontaneously combusted by now. But because it’s the Spurs, nobody cares. You figure it out.

The 2008-2009 Pistons Memorial “We Didn’t Think They’d Fall Off THIS Much” Award

I guess Portland, but they’ve been ravaged by injuries. Or perhaps Denver, but they’ve had to deal with the Carmelo distraction for 4 months. Or perhaps Phoenix, but they replaced their best player with Hakim Warrick, so it’s not exactly like their decline is shocking. There isn’t really a team that fits this award this season. So why did I include it? Word count! Gotta have a bigger word count! Writing more words means I’m smarter, right?

Most Underrated Player of The First Half

3. Chris Bosh, Miami

It’s hard to call anyone from Miami underrated, but I’d argue that Bosh has been WILDLY underrated this season. When he struggled finding a rhythm coming out of the gate, and inexplicably lost the ability to rebound, everyone was saying how much he sucked. Then in December he averaged a 19/9 on 52% shooting as the 3rd best guy on a team that went 15-1. You could do a lot worse. That being said, I still don’t trust him in the Playoffs against Boston or Chicago.

2. Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers

If I told you that Gordon was averaging a 25/4/3 on 50% shooting and 46% from three in January, you probably wouldn’t believe me, right? Well, that’s the truth. I’d still like to see him in more pick-and-roll situations with Blake Griffin, though. Baron Davis is about 72% invested, but he still dominates the ball too much for my liking. To be perfectly honest, I’m not positive that the Clips’ best lineup even includes Baron. I feel like Bledsoe, Gordon, Aminu, Griffin, and Jordan would be an intriguing unit.

1. Kevin Love, Minnesota

When a 6-8 white guy that can’t jump is on pace to be the first player since Moses Malone to average 20 points and 15 rebounds for a full season, I have to write about it. It’s in my contract and everything.

Most Overrated Player of The First Half

3. Amar’e Stoudemire, New York

Why he keeps landing in MVP discussions is beyond me. Statistically, he isn’t any better than he was last season. In fact, he’s scoring less efficiently and rebounding less. On top of that, after losing to Durant’s Team on Saturday night, the Knicks fell to 22-21. He’s getting MVP buzz despite being inferior statistically to at least 10 other guys and playing for a team that’s barely over .500? Huh?

2. Monta Ellis, Golden State

His per-game numbers are really impressive, but they get skewed by the fact that he plays a ton of minutes for a high-paced team. Playing more is not playing better.

1. Carmelo Anthony, Denver

His numbers don’t look bad, but if you watch Denver play, you can tell that he has basically just checked out. On Friday against the Lakers, Denver stormed out to a quick early lead, but when LA made a comeback and punched the Nuggets in the mouth, nobody responded. As far as I’m concerned, that’s an indictment on Carmelo. Teams follow the lead of their best player. If the supposed Alpha Dog has checked out, everyone else will too.

6th Man Of The First Half

I’m not even going to bother with candidates for this one. Jason Terry is the best bench player in the league and there isn’t a close second.

Worst Coach of The First Half

You know what, I can’t even come up with a slam-dunk candidate for this one. Normally I would rag on Vinny Del Negro, but in recent weeks the Clips have at least been playing hard, even coming up with wins over the Lakers and Heat.

Sacramento, Cleveland, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Washington are all abysmal teams, but I’m not going to blame the coaching in any of those instances. They just don’t have enough talent to compete.

I’m not going to lie. I miss the days of Mike Dunleavy, Don Nelson, and Terry Porter.

Best Coach of The First Half

3. Nate McMillan, Portland

How this team is 24-20 and still in the Western Playoff picture really needs to be explained to me. Part of me hopes that McMillan leaves Portland so that we can see what he’s capable of with a team that can actually stay healthy.

2. Tom Thibodeau, Chicago

Chicago has gone from a team barely in the top 10 in the league in defensive efficiency last season to the #1 defensive team in the league this season. And this comes with Kurt Thomas starting 18 games at center. Thibodeau is a defensive mastermind. He’s the Rex Ryan of basketball, only without the foot fetish.

1. Monty Williams, New Orleans

Speaking of defensive turnarounds, how about the Hornets? 22nd in the league in defensive efficiency last year, 3rd this year. I don’t think upgrading from Peja Stojakovic to Trevor Ariza is the only reason for that. Williams has also been able to keep Chris Paul invested, which is more than I can say for Byron Scott or Jeff Bower last season.

Least Valuable Player of The First Half

2. Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee (tie), Washington

This Washington team could actually be respectable if they had big men that were capable of doing anything correctly. I’ve never seen a frontcourt combo with a lower collective basketball IQ than this Blatche/McGee duo. McGee isn’t really capable of doing anything well besides running and jumping, but the problem is that he hasn’t figured that out yet. Meanwhile, Blatche is one of those guys that is immensely skilled, but just has no idea how to utilize those skills. There’s a big difference between a player capable of doing X, Y, and Z, and a player who actually does those things.

1. Yao Ming, Houston

I feel bad, because it’s not his fault, but I mean, when you make $35 Million over the course of two years and only play in 5 games…

Rookie of (the First Half of) the Year

3. Landry Fields, New York

He’s averaging a 10/7, shooting 52% from the floor and 39% from 3. He defends, runs the floor, and always plays hard. He’s a perfect role player for an up-tempo team like the Knicks

2. John Wall, Washington

His shooting is terrible, his shot selection is only slightly less terrible, but when he has the ball in his hands in the open court, he has Derrick Rose/Russell Westbrook-level explosiveness. It’s impossible to stay in front of him. His defense has also been surprisingly good. He plays passing lanes really well, and he has length to bother small guards in one-on-one situations. His screen-roll defense is suspect, but the comical ineptitude of Washington’s bigs at defending the pick-and-roll is equally to blame. All in all, it’s one of the more impressive rookie seasons by a point guard in a while.

1. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers

Were you expecting someone else? Once he develops a consistent jump shot he’ll average a 30/13. Easily.

Most Valuable Player of The First Half

5. Chris Paul, New Orleans

It’s hard to believe how well he’s playing considering he basically has the same knee injury that Brandon Roy does. New Orleans has won eight straight, including wins over Orlando, Denver, Atlanta, and San Antonio, and Paul’s shooting percentages are through the roof. He doesn’t dominate games like he did back in the 2008 Playoffs anymore; the days of him going off for 32/18s on 11-17 shooting are just about over. But he remains staggeringly efficient and always finds a way to contribute in a positive way.

4. Kevin Durant, Kevin Durant’s Team

To be honest, I contemplated putting Russell Westbrook in this spot because of how well he has played. However, when you consider that Durant’s Team runs every play in crunch time through Durant, I have to give the nod to Durant.

3. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas

Technically speaking, he’s missed over 20% of the season to date. I just don’t feel comfortable putting him any higher than here.

2. LeBron James, Miami

Considering how eminently beatable Miami seems to be when LeBron doesn’t play, compared to how competitive they seem to be when he does play and either Wade or Bosh (or both) sit, I feel like we should start taking LeBron seriously as an MVP candidate. Really, Cleveland’s 2011 record alone puts him in the discussion, and his play (and Miami’s play) cements him as a serious contender.

1. Derrick Rose, Chicago

I can’t put LeBron above this guy though. Nobody in the league does more with less. When Chicago is only a game behind Miami in the standings despite Carlos Boozer missing the first 15 games of the season and Joakim Noah missing the last 19 (and counting), clearly Rose is doing SOMETHING right. He’s developed into one of the better crunch-time players in the league, his jump shot is vastly improved, and if you see him in person you can see what type of a leader he is. He isn’t the LeBron/Shaq/Dwight Howard-type, the gregarious, larger-than-life figure, and he’s not the Jordan/Kobe-type, the icy and intimidating guy. He’s from the Tim Duncan school of leadership, the strong and silent type that doesn’t need to be in your face (either in a good way or a bad way) to get a message across. His efficiency numbers aren’t spectacular, but at the end of the day, he makes winning basketball plays. That makes him an MVP.

Finally, Here’s my latest NBA Power Poll

The Isiah Thomas Division

30. Cleveland Cavaliers
29. Sacramento Kings
28. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Mike Dunleavy Division

27. New Jersey Nets
26. Washington Wizards

Hopeless

25. Detroit Pistons
24. Toronto Raptors

Two of These Teams Will Inexplicably Make the Playoffs

23. Milwaukee Bucks
22. Indiana Pacers
21. Philadelphia 76ers
20. Charlotte Bobcats

Bright Futures, Dim Presents

19. Golden State Warriors
18. Los Angeles Clippers

Hoping For Denver To Trade Carmelo

17. Houston Rockets
16. Memphis Grizzlies
15. Phoenix Suns

Barely Treading Water

14. New York Knicks
13. Denver Nuggets
12. Portland Trail Blazers

Whatever

11. Utah Jazz
10. Kevin Durant’s Team

Surging

9. Atlanta Hawks
8. New Orleans Hornets

The Pseudo-Contenders

7. Dallas Mavericks
6. Orlando Magic
5. Chicago Bulls

The Contenders

4. Boston Celtics
3. Los Angeles Lakers
2. Miami Heat

The Favorite

1. San Antonio Spurs