Answer: Circle.
Question: What is a columnists favorite 2-D shape?
So, as a tribute to the circle, the end is the beginning. I’ve been writing some form of a column here for three full years and the subject that started it all was NBA post-season awards (May of 1998). Hence, we go round and round and round:
Coach of the Year: Back then, Larry Brown and Pat Riley finished second and first, respectively, in my Coach of the Year award. Two seasons later, they are still the best two coaches in the league. Riley guided the mostly Alonzo-less Heat to the third seed in the East. Then Charlotte happened. But these awards are based on the regular season, not the playoffs.
So its Brown, who keeps pushing the Sixers higher and higher. He’s got Allen Iverson playing as hard on defense as he does on offense?which is saying a whole lot. He’s also steered the Sixers through injuries at point guard and a major trade. No one (except foolish die hards like me) expected the Sixers to win the East. Brown made it happen for the Sixers. Count on his coaching skills to get them into the finals.
Sixth Man: This award is always a major problem because the winner is usually somebody who isn’t really a sixth man. For example, the Sixers candidate for this award shouldn’t be eligible. Aaron McKie is an excellent reserve, but the reason he stands out this year is because he did a great job when he was starting in place of the injured Eric Snow. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a few starts, but McKie started for several months of the season.
So now, we’re mostly left with guys who really aren’t that exceptional. Tim Thomas solves this problem. He never starts because he’s no Glenn “Big Dog” Robinson, but he is very talented. (It’s painful to praise anyone that plays for Villanova, but he had the good sense to ditch Steve “Rat Face” Lappas after only one year of exposure.)
Most Improved: There’s lots of talk about Tracy McGrady winning this award. I say no. This is just an attempt to give a rising star an award since his team isn’t very good and he has no shot at MVP. If we’re going to evaluate the award that way, any good player who ditches his team in order to get the ball more will be rewarded. McGrady made his major improvement two years ago. If I remember correctly, I gave him the award then. This award is for guys who go from bad to good, not good to great.
So, the winner is … Jermaine O’Neal. During his Portland career, he never did anything. This year, he was almost an All Star. In four previous seasons (which would have corresponded to four years in college), his combined statistics were 817 points, 153 blocks and 651 rebounds. This year he blew those numbers to dust, scoring 1071 (13 a game) points, grabbing 794 rebounds and emphatically swatting away 228 shots. That translates to 2.8 blocks per game, which is sensational for anyone not from Georgetown.
Defensive Player of the Year: A few years ago I limited the MVP field to Georgetown grads, just for fun. With this award, you could do that and still get the right guy almost every year. Mourning didn’t play much this year so Dikembe Mutombo is the clear winner. This award always seems to go to big guys. Who led the league in steals per game this year anyway? (Hint: he had 2.5 per game)
MVP: That was a nice segue, huh? Was there ever any doubt? It’s almost not a question. I thought he was MVP last year, which makes him turbo-MVP this year. He burns past any defender that tries to stop him. He’s also super tough and a cult hero. He should start his own fight club. He’s also my favorite player.
His name is Allen Iverson. His name is Allen Iverson.
