It's not an easy task, trying to predict awards like Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year. So many different players have the capability to win either of these that nailing down just one can be pretty challenging. But it has to be done, and there are certainly some guys that bring more to the table than others. The results to Most Improved, Sixth Man, and even the Rookie of the Year, may be a little surprising, but intelligent debate is the brainchild of HOOPSWORLD, so let the discussion ensue…
Rookie of the Year
The rookies selected to be in "the field" have to have some combination of exceptional talent and opportunity to showcase that talent on their new teams. These are the guys with the best chance at getting Rookie of the Year votes at the end of the season.
The Field: Gerald Henderson (CHA), James Johnson (CHI), Taj Gibson (CHI), Rodrigue Beaubois (DAL), Stephen Curry (GSW), Tyler Hansbrough (IND), Blake Griffin (LAC), Hasheem Thabeet (MEM), Brandon Jennings (MIL), Jonny Flynn (MIN), Terrence Williams (NJN), Darren Collison (NOH), Marcus Thornton (NOH), Jordan Hill (NYK), James Harden (OKC), Jrue Holiday (PHI), Earl Clark (PHO), Tyreke Evans (SAC), Omri Casspi (SAC), DeJuan Blair (SAS), DeMar DeRozan (TOR).
Narrowing It Down: Blake Griffin, Tyreke Evans, Brandon Jennings, Stephen Curry, Jonny Flynn. While Griffin may be the preseason favorite for a lot of people, don't count these other guys out. Evans is going to be a scoring machine, Jennings will dish out a ton of assists, and Curry and Flynn are going to see great minutes and opportunity with their new teams. There's more parity here than meets the eye.
The Winner: Tyreke Evans. With the news that Griffin will miss the first month-and-a-half of the season with a stress fracture in his patella, Evans is going to get a huge jump on this race and probably never will look back. He's the best scorer of the group and has perhaps the best opportunity for minutes and ball time of any rookie in the class.
Most Improved Player
Picking the player who has improved the most since last season is extremely tough, because usually these players peek up out of nowhere. The guys listed below are players either on the cusp or greatness or who many believe could be on the verge of breaking through from role player to legitimate star.
The Field: Joakim Noah (CHI), Tyrus Thomas (CHI), Will Bynum (DET), Anthony Randolph (GSW), Anthony Morrow (GSW), Trevor Ariza (HOU), Aaron Brooks (HOU), Roy Hibbert (IND), Brandon Rush (IND), Eric Gordon (LAC), Andrew Bynum (LAL), Michael Beasley (MIA), Courtney Lee (NJN), Julian Wright (NOH), Danilo Gallinari (NYK), Thaddeus Young (PHI), Greg Oden (POR), Jason Thompson (SAC), Andrea Bargnani (TOR), Andray Blatche (WAS).
Narrowing It Down: Anthony Randolph, Greg Oden, Jason Thompson, Andrew Bynum, Joakim Noah. So many players look ready to blossom this season that it's very hard to narrow the list down to five, let alone just one. Knowing that Eric Gordon is an amazing scorer and Roy Hibbert is en route to becoming a top-notch shot-blocker makes it very hard to eliminate them, but other guys on this list could be even better than those guys.
Randolph is finally starting to figure out his body and, given the opportunity, could bloom into an All-Star in the not-too-distant future. Bynum's abilities are well-known, but he's had trouble staying healthy and really bringing those talents to fruition. This could be the year for him, or it could be the year for Joakim Noah or Greg Oden, both of whom look to make significant strides in terms of points and rebounds this year.
The Winner: Jason Thompson. This is the guy who very quietly puts up dominating numbers in northern California for a Kings team that some believe could be better than advertised. Of all the players listed above, he's the most likely to be given the most responsibility for the team he plays for, both in the scoring and rebounding departments. This won't be the most popular pick for MIP, especially with all the Greg Oden and Andrew Bynum fans out there, but Thompson is a much more viable option to win this award than many realize.
Sixth Man of the Year
Over the course of the season many teams will experiment with bringing different guys off the bench, so this list might be definitive, but it's a good starting place in looking at the best players expected to come off the bench to start the season.
The Field: Jamal Crawford (ATL), Rasheed Wallace (BOS), Marquis Daniels (BOS), Kirk Hinrich (CHI), Zydrunas Ilgauskas or Shaquille O'Neal (CLE), Jason Terry (DAL), Ben Gordon (DET), Anthony Randolph (GSW), Brandon Rush (IND), Lamar Odom (LAL), Allen Iverson (MEM), Nate Robinson (NYK), Mickael Pietrus (ORL), Leandro Barbosa (PHO), Rudy Fernandez (POR), Andres Nocioni (SAC), Manu Ginobili (SAS), Paul Millsap (UTA), Mike Miller (WAS).
Narrowing It Down: Rasheed Wallace, Lamar Odom, Ben Gordon, Manu Ginobili, Paul Millsap. It's amazing how much legitimate star power is coming off of the bench for some teams this season. Ginobili and Gordon already have been recognized for this award before, and Odom was in serious consideration last season. Millsap would be a starter for Utah were it not for Carlos Boozer, and Wallace's resume is well-documented. Several players will vie to be named the league's top sixth man, but unfortunately there can be only one…
The Winner: Rasheed Wallace. The Celtics are a tough, tough team that are going to cause headaches for absolutely everyone this year. Wallace only brings more toughness and championship experience to a team already chock-full of champions. He's going to fit in beautifully there, which is important because Doc Rivers will have to conserve Kevin Garnett's legs this season so he doesn't miss another playoffs due to injury.
Are we really predicting two different Sacramento Kings to win awards despite projections that they could be the worst team in the league? We are, because bad seasons like the one the Kings appear headed towards are perfect for young players looking to find themselves. With no pressure to win immediately, guys like Tyreke Evans and Jason Thompson are free to play through mistakes--an advantage that could very well put these postseason awards in their hands.
