With the NBA playoffs just starting, it’s time for the end-of-the-year awards to be handed out to this season’s standouts.
NBA 1st Team
Tim Duncan-This guy is pure heart and hustle every night. Night in and night out, you can expect that he’ll put up solid numbers. He might not be the flashiest guy or the most athletic, but nobody can argue with his 20 points and 10 rebounds a game average.
Dirk Nowitzki-One of the two major MVP candidates this year, he led the Mavericks to the best record in the league. His 24.6 ppg and 8.9 rpg were tops on his team. He not only stepped up his numbers this season, but he also stepped up as a leader on the Mavericks.
Lebron James-He’s simply amazing. He was the only player in the entire league this year to average more than 25 points (27.3), more than six rebounds (6.7) and six assists per game. Besides that fact, he’s one of only three players in all of NBA history to achieve that.
Kobe Bryant-For a guy who can drop 50 on any team on any night, he always finds new ways to amaze NBA fans. Bryant is the most prolific scorer in the league, scoring from any angle to the basket imaginable. His 31.6 ppg was tops on the league. Probably on the worst team of any of the five on this list, he still was able to lead the Lakers into the playoffs.
Steve Nash-The two-time reigning MVP (and is seriously in contention to win his third in a row) lead the Suns to the second-best record in the league. He already won the MVP title the last two years, but a third wouldn’t be out of the question, considering that his numbers (18.6 ppg, 11.6 apg) are career highs in both categories. He also led the league in assists for the third straight year.
Honorable Mention: Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves.
NBA All-Underrated Team
Mehmet Okur-Who? Considering that most people don’t even know who he is, people should start noticing. He scored 17.2 ppg this year while averaging 7.2 rpg. He’s a 7-footer with a shooting guard’s mentality, and can light it up from the three-point line.
Chris Webber-In terms of capability and contribution, Webber wouldn’t have made this team. But, in terms of impact, Webber is quite valuable to the Detriot Pistons. Since joining Detroit after the 76ers decided to let him go, the Pistons went 22-7 (the second best record of any team during that time span) and is now sitting atop the Eastern Conference standings. Webber seemed like an entirely new person once he joined the elite Pistons team.
Lamar Odom-Yes, he plays on the same team as Kobe Byrant. And, because of that, he doesn’t get enough credit. Whenever the Lakers win and Kobe scores 40 points, most believe that is the reason why. They usually overlook the “average” game Odom has, which is usually around 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists per game.
Leandro Barbosa-Just like Odom, Barbosa is playing in the shadows of a superstar. That being said, Barbosa did just win the sixth Man of the Year award, so he did get recognized for his great contributions throughout the year. Not only would Barbosa be able to start on many of the other teams in the NBA, he’d probably be the superstar player on each one of them.
Kirk Hinrich-It’s pretty hard to consider him underrated when he did just play on the U.S. National Team last summer, but Captain Kirk still doesn’t get the recognition he deserves. His polished game and in-your-face defense sets him apart from most point guards in the league. His leadership and play contributed to the Bulls having the third-best record in the East this year.
Honorable Mention: Kevin Martin from the Sacramento Kings.
NBA All-Overrated Team
Tracy McGrady-This might be a little controversial, considering that T-Mac contains an array of offensive moves and can always prove to be a scoring threat. But, he still hasn’t proven that he can play when his team needs him the most (due to many, many injuries), and he’s 0-5 in playoffs series. Sure, he can score, but can he win?
Allen Iverson-Considered to be the NBA’s toughest player, he was traded from Philadelphia to Denver because of his lethargic work ethic. Also considered an incredible scorer, he proved to be a selfish player when teaming up with Carmelo Anthony, since the team chemistry took about a month to be established. His wild shots and weak defensive positioning, along with his poor work ethic, have people questioning his motivation in Denver to win another championship.
Stephon Marbury-Everywhere he has gone, he has lost. Everywhere he has left, they have won. He may be a smooth player with the will to drive whenever he wants, but he can’t win. When he was put next to Steve Francis in the backcourt in New York, the Knicks were thought to be contenders in the East. Instead, Marbury, and Francis, for that matter, are just dents in the tremendously large New York payroll.
Joe Johnson-When he was in Phoenix, he was considered a three-positioned player who could play point or shooting guard and small forward. Now in Atlanta and playing under a huge contract, Johnson hasn’t proven that he can play the same way without the incredible Steve Nash. Johnson has all the tools to be a great player, but he shouldn’t be considered a great one just yet, since he hasn’t proven that he can play at the top of his game on a consistent basis.
Kenyon Martin-K-Mart was once considered an offensive powerhouse in the paint. His explosiveness down in the post proved that he was a valuable asset to a team. He hasn’t shown that he can put it all together in the NBA, but many are still holding on to the fact that he may still be able to work out the kinks and injuries and become a prominent player in the NBA.
Honorable Mention: Larry Hughes from the Cleveland Cavaliers.
