NBA Midseason Report

As the All-Star festivities are underway in Dallas, it's time to hand out some midseason awards:

TOP FIVE TEAMS

1. Cleveland Cavaliers

What LeBron James continues to do night in and night out is simply staggering. King James is far and away the best player on the planet, a triple-double threat every time he steps on the court. Judging by championship-level standards, James' supporting cast is less than stellar. But one player that stands out is J.J. Hickson, a superb rookie out of N.C. State who plays with the swagger and intelligence of a wily veteran. Hickson's name is associated in practically every trade rumor, but G.M. Danny Ferry would be foolish to let go of such a promising young talent.

2. Los Angeles Lakers

I will begrudgingly admit that Kobe Bryant is a truly great player, but for those of you who deem him more valuable than LeBron, consider this: When Kobe went down to injury, the Lakers actually played better. With Kobe sidelined with an ankle injury, Los Angeles garnered two dominating road wins at Portland and at Utah. Now it goes without saying that in order to repeat, the Lakers will need a healthy and productive Kobe, but their road success without Bryant is a testament to this team's overwhelming depth. Pau Gasol continues to assert himself as one of the league's most outstanding big men, Andrew Bynum continues to improve, and Shannon Brown continues to show why he is one of the league's most underrated players. Thus, the Lakers remain the team to beat out West. Now if they could just get rid of that Sasha Vujacic, the worst player in NBA history. I may be exaggerating, but only a little.

3. Denver Nuggets

With an impressive road win at the Lakers without their best player (Carmelo Anthony) a little over a week ago, the Nuggets proved that they are a legitimate threat to dethrone the Lakers in the Western conference. No team plays with more fearless energy than this bunch. For the first time in his career, Carmelo Anthony needs to be taken seriously as an MVP candidate. He's always been an unstoppable scorer, but this year 'Melo has matured on the defensive end as well, making him a fantastic all-around player. Chauncey Billups' name often gets lost in the shuffle when discussing the game's best point guards, but make no mistake: Billups is indeed an elite point guard, one of the game's most clutch leaders and a surefire Hall-of-Famer. And then there's J.R. Smith and Chris "Birdman" Andersen, two players that are exhilarating to watch. Smith is a fearless shooter, capable of outscoring the likes of LeBron, Kobe, and Durant. And The Birdman is an astonishingly exciting player, an awesome competitor who instantly raises Denver's energy level whenever he enters the game. Look out L.A., here come the Nuggets.

4. Orlando Magic

Up until about a week ago, the Magic had actually been having an underwhelming season. Dwight Howard hadn't been taking advantage of his limitless potential, Vince Carter hadn't been as explosive as Stan Van Gundy had hoped, and Jameer Nelson seemed to still be feeling the ill effects of injury. Then in the second-half of last week's road thrashing of the Boston Celtics, something seemed to click. Dwight Howard, while still not fully realizing his unbelievable potential, is starting to make strides of improvement on the offensive end. And fresh off the heels of a 48-point performance against the Hornets, perhaps Vince Carter is now ready to take a starring role. Still, if the Magic wish to outlast the Cavs and return to the Finals, they are going to need more productivity from Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis.

5. Atlanta Hawks

Few teams rank higher on the pure entertainment and excitement meter than Mike Woodson's Hawks. Joe Johnson often goes unnoticed, but he is an elite player. Josh Smith is an electrifying player who almost always dazzles with his otherworldly athleticism. Al Horford is a very reliable inside presence. And Zaza Pechulia and Jamal Crawford are two supremely talented breaths of fresh air off the bench. With all of this talent, the Hawks should be taken seriously as a threat to win the East, having already surpassed the aging Boston Celtics. But one question remains: When the bright lights and the enormous pressure of the playoffs commences, will the Hawks be ready to compete with the Cavs and Magic? That remains to be seen.

THE NEXT FIVE: Jazz, Mavs, Celtics, Spurs, Thunder


And now, a quick rundown of my midseaon awards:

MVP: LeBron James, Cavs
Honorable Mentions: Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant

Coach of the Year: Lionel Hollins, Grizzlies
Honorable Mentions: Nate McMillan, Rick Adelman, Scott Brooks, Mike Woodson

Rookie of the Year: Stephen Curry, Warriors
Honorable Mentions: DeJuan Blair, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson

Sixth Man of the Year: Jamal Crawford, Hawks
Honorable Mentions: J.J. Hickson, DeJuan Blair, Anderson Varajao