The NBA’s All-Star weekend was capped off with a record-setting showcase on Sunday night, which means we’re officially ready to get the second half of the season underway.
However, before we jump into the home stretch, do you really know what transpired before the All-Star Game?
By now, you have witnessed what’s gone on with the Sixers. There was the good — the addition of Jerry Colangelo to the front office, Brett Brown’s continued passion, Jahlil Okafor’s as-advertised play, the return of Ish Smith, Nerlens Noel’s aggressive defense, Robert Covington’s improved all-around game, Jerami Grant’s growth, T.J. McConnell’s scrappy spirit, Richaun Holmes’ surprising contribution and more (more on Holmes here).
Of course, there’s also been plenty of bad — the need for the addition of Colangelo to the front office, the 1-30 start to the season, the overall point guard play before Smith’s return, the blown leads, the lack of team defense on a nightly basis, the massive number of turnovers, the frequent scoring droughts, Nik Stauskas’ lack of confidence, Isaiah Canaan’s shot selection, another season without Joel Embiid and much more.
With that said, let’s take a look at some team designations and frontrunners for personal awards from around the league at the season’s midway point.
Biggest surprise
Eastern Conference: Boston Celtics
Sure, Boston made the playoffs last season as the seventh seed. But few outside of the Celtics’ locker room saw this type of jump coming just a year later. The C’s currently sit as the No. 3 team in the East with a 32-23 record behind only Cleveland and Toronto. With head coach Brad Stevens and first-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas leading the way, the Celtics could make some noise come this postseason.
Western Conference: Portland Trail Blazers
After losing every starter except point guard Damian Lillard from last season’s squad, the Blazers were bound for a drop-off in the standings. While there has been a dip, they remain in the playoff mix at 27-27. The stellar play of Lillard and the emergence of C.J. McCollum has Portland as the seventh seed in the standings and fending off other teams clawing for one of those final postseason berths.
NBA
Biggest disappointment
Eastern Conference: Washington Wizards
The jump being made by the Celtics was supposed to be reserved for the Wizards. Instead, the Wiz are somehow on the verge of missing the playoffs after back-to-back finishes as the fifth seed the previous two seasons. The injury bug has ravaged Washington, as the team’s 221 man games missed because of injury are the most in the entire NBA.
Western Conference: New Orleans Pelicans
Much like the Wizards, the Pelicans were expected to take the next step in their progression only to be derailed by injuries. The Pels are third in the league with 156 man games lost because of injury at the break. Even when their regular rotation has been on the floor together, New Orleans has struggled to find consistency.
Best moment
Eastern Conference: Milwaukee Bucks defeating Golden State Warriors
The Warriors’ historic run to open the season came to an unexpected end in Milwaukee on Dec. 13. With the Bucks’ Squad 6 fan section sporting T-shirts with “24-1” written on them, the players went on the court and backed it up. The Bucks got a monster game inside from Greg Monroe (28 points and 11 rebounds) while holding the Dubs to just 6 of 27 from three-point range for a 108-95 win.
Western Conference: Kobe Bryant retirement stops in each city
While Bryant initially didn’t want any part of a retirement tour celebration, even he has come around to the reception he’s received during stops around the league. Starting in Philadelphia on Dec. 1, Bryant has gotten the cheers and honors deserved for such a decorated player who is waving goodbye to the game at the end of the season.
Worst moment
Eastern Conference: Okafor’s off-court transgressions
While it seems like ages ago at this point, Okafor’s off-the-court problems still happened. From the Boston street fight to the speeding incident to having a gun pulled on him, the rookie’s initial dip into the NBA life was anything but smooth. Thankfully for Okafor and the Sixers, those issues appear over and the center can keep his focus on basketball.
Western Conference: Car crash death of Monty Williams’ wife
Up until a couple weeks ago, this spot would have been held by the acts of combustible Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris. However, some things are bigger than basketball. Williams, the former Pelicans head coach and current Oklahoma City Thunder assistant, lost his wife Ingrid Williams in a car crash last Wednesday. The 44-year-old Ingrid Williams leaves behind her husband and their five children.
Now, let’s get back to a lighter mood with some midseason awards.
Rookie of the Year: Karl-Anthony Towns
There is plenty of competition in the form of Okafor and Kristaps Porzingis, but this award is Towns’ to lose. The Minnesota Timberwolves rookie is averaging a double-double with 17.1 points and 10.1 rebounds to go along with 1.8 blocks per game. The versatile big man is only getting better, too. Just look at his final game before the All-Star break when Towns posted 35 points on 12 of 19 shooting with 11 rebounds and three blocks in a 117-112 win over the Toronto Raptors.
Most Improved Player: C.J. McCollum
The Blazers were counting on McCollum after their roster was completely overhauled and the shooting guard has delivered. The Lehigh product has increased his production pretty much across the board from last season, including points (6.8 to 20.7), shooting percentage (43.6 to 44.2), rebounds (1.5 to 3.6), assists (1.0 to 4.2), steals (0.7 to 1.2) and free throw percentage (69.9 to 79.7). McCollum has paired seamlessly with Lillard to form one of the league’s most potent backcourt duos. Others in the hunt for MIP are Detroit’s Andre Drummond and Atlanta’s Kent Bazemore.
Sixth Man of the Year: Will Barton
Despite Denver being 10 games below .500, a main reason the Nuggets aren’t completely out of the playoff hunt is Barton’s play. The four-year veteran has displayed endless energy in his second stint with the Nuggets, averaging career highs in points and rebounds with 15.5 and 6.0, respectively. Barton is also shooting 38.0 percent from three-point range. While veterans on contenders such as Andre Iguodala and Jamal Crawford have made their own cases, Barton gets the nod here.
Defensive Player of the Year: Kawhi Leonard
This will likely come down to Leonard and Draymond Green, but we’re going with the Spurs swingman. Leonard has taken on a bigger role in the Spurs’ offense this season with a team-high 20.2 points per game. However, his defense remains at top-tier level. Leonard guards opponents’ best perimeter player every game and it routinely turns into an off night for whatever scorer is in the arena. Look for Leonard to add a second straight DPOY award to his mantle.
Most Valuable Player: Stephen Curry
Is this one even a question? Curry shot himself to the top of the NBA in 2014-15 as last season’s MVP and somehow he has gotten even better. The Warriors guard is averaging a league-leading 29.8 points per game to go along with 6.6 assists, 5.3 boards and 2.1 steals. Curry’s numbers are also coming at an extremely efficient rate. He’s shooting 50.8 percent from the field, 45.4 percent from three-point range and 91.2 percent from the free throw line to help give him a ridiculous PER of 32.18 (the league average is 15.0). There are countless superstars putting on shows every night in the NBA, but none are quite like Curry.
Coach of the Year: Luke Walton
Technically, Walton has a career record of 0-0. However, he helped guide the defending champions to a 29-4 record while head coach Steve Kerr was out after back surgery. Sure, people will say just about anyone could have coached the current Warriors team to win after win, but it’s deeper than that. Champs have to guard against all types of pitfalls the following season — egos, complacency, contract demands, etc. Walton was able to keep the Warriors locked in each game and have them in prime position to break the Chicago Bulls’ 72-10 record.
