NBA Postseason: My First Playoff Thoughts and Regular Season Awards

I find it ironic that the last day I was so excited for NBA Basketball was Christmas day when the Knicks opened up the regular season with a win over the Celtics, but I find it ironic that I'm actually more excited today than I was on Christmas, oh the power of the NBA Playoffs.

This day is typically a top 5 day of my year, but this season's a little bit more special. With the Knicks winning 18 of their final 24, and with a top five defense, maybe they can win...a game (hey it's been 11 winless years) this go around. As excited as I am about the Knicks, it's very much bittersweet as they've drawn the Heat, probably the league-wide favorite to win the championship. As good as Melo and Chandler and "Mob(b) Deep" have been playing, they're looking at the league MVP, a former Finals MVP, and *insert Bosh joke here despite him(her) being a consistent 18 and 8 player* equipped with a bench loaded with shooters, who just so happen to play harder on defense than they do on offense.

Not to get corny but I almost feel like the Knicks are entering the Hunger Games, not quite as District 12, but sort of like Katniss. We have the capability to win this thing, but we really have to avoid getting caught face-to-face with the strongest competitor in the beginning, unfortunately, it's us against Cato in the first round and Cato's really really pissed.

*Is that a bad look? Incorporating The Hunger Games? Don't act like you don't have girlfriends that ask you to read books! At least it's not Twilight!!!*

Hopefully the Knicks playoff run can not only parallel Katniss's run in The Hunger Games, but also their improbably run in the 1999 Playoffs where they were the 8 seed, defeating the 1 seed Heat in the first round of the playoffs of a lockout shortened season. I'm not saying anything, but I'm just saying...

Here are my thoughts on the other first round match-ups:

East:
1. Chicago Bulls vs 8. Philadelphia 76ers
I don't want to come off like a hater, but I'm really not liking the Bulls chances this season. I don't think they've done anything to really differentiate themselves from last season (depth was never the issue), but I don't think they'll struggle with the Sixers. I don't think this is a terrible matchup for the Sixers, but I can't see them taking more than a game or two against an incredibly competitive team. I'll say Bulls in 5.

4. Boston Celtics vs 5. Atlanta Hawks
I think this is the final straw for the Celtics to win a playoff series or two. Atlanta is really thin up front, and I really look forward to Kevin Garnett and Ivan Johnson going at it just from an i like confrontations aspect. I don't know that the Celtics have an answer for Joe Johnson, but I expect Rondo and Pierce to dominate this series and get the ball rolling for the Celtics. These teams have a history of tough games, but I can't see this series taking Boston more than 6 games.

3. Indiana Pacers vs 6. Orlando Magic
This will be a great measurement of how ready the Pacers are for a playoff run. This should be a sweep, but if the Pacers get lazy, the Magic could shoot their way to a win. This is just the beginning of what's going to be an ugly couple of months for Orlando. Stan Van just keep your cool buddy. Pacers in 5.

2. Miami Heat vs 7. New York Knicks
This isn't a favorable draw for either team, but make no mistakes, Miami's the better team. As much as the Knicks have improved since Mike Woodson took over, it's still the Heat, who are absolutely on a mission that only ends with a championship. The Knicks are still a work in progress and with Shumpert having never played in the playoffs, Stoudemire still figuring out his role, and uncertainty at the point guard position. The Heat should trample the Knicks. I'm being kind, Heat in 6.

West:
1. San Antonio Spurs vs 8. Utah Jazz
The Jazz are probably happier with this matchup than if they would've drawn the Thunder or the Lakers. Not to say the Jazz stand a chance, but Ty Corbin's bunch plays a similar game and has similar athleticism. The Spurs have a lot to prove, and have a healthy Manu for these playoffs, and not to mention have been scorching since acquiring Stephen Jackson at the trade deadline. Good for the Jazz for making the playoffs, but it's gonna be at least another year until they win any games. Spurs in
4.

4. Memphis Grizzlies vs 5. Los Angeles Clippers
Yikes. This is the series that everyone is already hailing "must watch series of the first round," and with the players involved it has to be. The Grizzlies were one of the scariest teams in the playoffs last season upsetting the 1 seed Spurs in the first round then taking the conference favorite Thunder to 7 games in the semifinals. As good as they've been since, I think Chris Paul is the best player in the series and I think he will dominate and get the Clippers to the second round. We've seen him carry worse Hornets teams, and I think he continues his playoff prowess this year. Clippers in 6.

3. Los Angeles Lakers vs 6. Denver Nuggets
This is going to be a great series. I hate how enjoyable the Nuggets are to watch play because of all of the Knicks sentiment on that team, but they really play a high-energy, everyone gets involved, run hard score harder style of ball that a slightly disheveled Lakers team may not be able to handle. I'm not putting this on Ron Artest, but the Lakers don't have any depth on the wing, and that's where the Nuggets strive. Kobe and Bynum are still the two best players in the series, but the Nuggets are gonna give them a run for their money. Lakers in 7.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder vs 7. Dallas Mavericks
You don't often see Conference Finals rematches in the first round, but this year it's because the defending champs are a shell of what they were last season. You still can't rule Dirk Nowitzki out, but the Thunder are going to be one of the toughest outs this postseason and you can bet your bottom dollar that Kevin Durant will not allow his team to lose in the first round. The Mavs won't have any kind of answers for Westbrook and Harden, and Dirk sold his soul for last season, don't expect him to repeat his performance. Thunder in 5.


Regular Season Awards:
MVP: LeBron James
Yup, another season of 27, 8, and 6, but it's 14-1 that matters. While the Heat ran shit in the East for the second straight season, LeBron particularly took his team of role players and a Bosh to a 14-1 record in games without Dwyane Wade, proving that he's going to win games and be the most dominant player in the league no matter who he's playing with. If you take LeBron off of the Heat they're completely out of the championship picture, which you could probably also say about Kevin Durant, and Chris Paul (even though the Clippers probably aren't in the picture anyway).
Runner Up: Chris Paul

Rookie of the Year: Duh, Kyrie Irving
There wasn't another rookie to play this season, except Rubio who was a fake rookie, that you watched play and thought "this guy's going to be a star." As effective as Klay Thompson and Kenneth Faried were down the stretch for their teams, Irving dominated games as a scorer as well as a distributor (with a pretty weak cast). Irving absolutely lived up to the hype this season, and will make the Cavs one of the peskier teams in the East next year if they can draft a scorer to play with him.
Runner Up: Kenneth Faried

Defensive Player of the Year: Tyson Chandler
It could essentially be Dwight Howard every season as nobody dominates the paint like he does (if I'm not following this formula than why should LeBron be MVP? Cause he's LeBron), but Tyson Chandler took the Knicks from a bottom-three defense the last couple of seasons to a top-five defense this season. Props to Iman Shumpert and Mike Woodson for sure, but Chandler dominates the boards on both ends with tip outs and effort, and keeps the paint cleared out for the most part for his team. Despite Carmelo Anthony's scoring spree this past month, Chandler is the Knicks most important player and is a leader on the defensive end.
Runner Up: Serge Ibaka

*Note: I'd like to apologize for my East Coast bias on that last one. The Knicks are the 7-seed in the East and get covered more than almost any team in the league because they play in New York. Their best defensive player isn't necessarily more important than anyone else's best defensive player, and I apologize if I've offended anyone by not considering Ibaka or Howard. With that said, being able to watch him consistently and seeing the amazing turn around for the Knicks defense this year, he's more than a valid candidate for this award.

Most Improved Player: Ryan Anderson
While Andrew Bynum's numbers really spiked this season, I feel he's had the capability to score and rebound the way he did this year for the past couple of seasons. He didn't suddenly emerge as a different player for the Lakers, the Lakers started using him differently and he had a fantastic season. With that said, I think guys like Ryan Anderson and Ersan Ilyasova really were the most improved players this season, as they've been impactful role players the last couple of seasons but really stepped up big for their teams this year. Anderson became a 16 and 8 guy this season, and if he had a better player or two next to him the Magic might win a playoff game.
Runner Up: Ersan Ilyasova

Sixth Man: James Harden
Harden played almost 30 minutes a game for the Western Conference's most dynamic offense, and often ran the point when paired with Westbrook in the backcourt. He's not the fuel that makes that offense go, but he's one of the most important moving parts averaging almost 17, 4 and 4. He's not only an incredibly gifted athlete, he's tremendously efficient, finishing the season with a higher PER than guys like Paul Pierce, Deron Williams, Steve Nash, and Ty Lawson. Harden plays well at every tempo, and is a star in this league despite his bench status.
Runner Up: Al Harrington

Coach of the Year: Tom Thibodeau
Gregg Popovich really doesn't make this choice easy at all, and you don't often see a guy win this award two years in a row, let alone his first two seasons as a head coach, but it's gotta be Thibs! Say what you want about Popovich brilliantly cycling out his role players season by season, but he's working with the same core of Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, and a less efficient Tim Duncan for the past 10 seasons now (with three championships for that crew), the rest is just fill in the blanks. The Bulls went 18-9 without Derrick Rose this year, and with Luol Deng and Rip Hamilton missing games, it's incredible that the Bulls were able to take home the Eastern Conference's best record. It's not a runaway, but give credit where credits due.
Runner Up: Gregg Popvich

First Team All-NBA
C - Dwight Howard
F - LeBron James
F - Kevin Durant
G - Chris Paul
G - Kobe Bryant

Second Team All-NBA
C - Andrew Bynum
F - Kevin Love
F - Paul Pierce
G - Russell Westbrook
G - Tony Parker

Third Team All-NBA
C - Tyson Chandler
F - Blake Griffin
F - Carmelo Anthony
G - Dwyane Wade
G - Rajon Rondo


First Team All-Defense
C - Tyson Chandler
F - Serge Ibaka
F - LeBron James
G - Rajon Rondo
G - Kobe Bryant

Second Team All-Defense
C - Dwight Howard
F - Shawn Marion
F - Josh Smith
G - Iman Shumpert
G - Tony Allen

First Team All-Rookie
G/F - Klay Thompson
F - Kenneth Faried
G - Isaiah Tomas
G - Ricky Rubio
G - Kyrie Irving

Second Team All-Rookie
F - Kawhi Leonard
F - Chandler Parsons
G - MarShon Brooks
G - Brandon Knight
G - Iman Shumpert