Past Thoughts

Here are my picks, in top 10 format, for all of the National Basketball Association awards. Yes, I’m aware the season is only at the All Star break. I'll revisit this at the end of the season. I’m not a huge top 10 person when it comes to picking one person for an award, but everyone else does lists, so I decided to also. Lists are strictly opinion based, so try not to focus on who I have at what number other than number one. It really makes no difference anyways, since only one person will win each award. In Part Two of my All Star Break Awards I’ll go over my top 10 teams and who I thought should have been All Stars.

Most Valuable Player
1. LeBron James (Cleveland) = He doesn’t have much help, but he still has the best team.
2. Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles) = Still the best player in basketball in my opinion.
3. Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City) = A fast rising, young superstar with unlimited potential.
4. Steve Nash (Phoenix) = He’s just like a fine wine. He’s still a top 5 point guard.
5. Joe Johnson (Atlanta) = He’s helped make Atlanta into a legitimate contender.
6. Chris Bosh (Toronto) = Having a great year for a playoff team.
7. Carmelo Anthony (Denver) = He’s improved so much.
8. Dirk Nowitzski (Dallas) = He plays his heart out every single game.
9. Brandon Roy (Portland) = He’s kept the injury plagued Trail Blazers in the playoffs
10. Deron Williams (Utah) = He deserves more credit than he is given.

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Dwight Howard (Orlando) = He’s good one on one and within a team concept.
2. Anderson Varejao (Cleveland) = His defense is helping the Cavaliers so much this year.
3. LeBron James (Cleveland) = The best defender on a great defensive team.
4. Rajon Rondo (Boston) = Probably playing the best defense on The Celtics this season.
5. Gerald Wallace (Charlotte) = A surprising defensive effort this season.
6. Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles) = He’s aging, but he can still make anyone struggle.
7. Ron Artest (Los Angeles) = He’s always been a top 10 defender.
8. Josh Smith (Atlanta) = He’s really improved his team and one on one defense this year.
9. Kendrick Perkins (Boston) = One of the best defensive big men in the NBA.
10. Brendon Haywood (Washington) = The best defender on a bad defensive team.

Rookie of the Year
1. Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee) = Very few people thought he would be this good this fast.
2. Tyreke Evans (Sacramento) = He could possibly win the award too.
3. Stephen Curry (Golden State) = He’s quieted some of his critics already.
4. Jonny Flynn (Minnesota) = A good young player who is being overshadowed right now.
5. Omri Casspi (Sacramento) = One of many surprise rookies this season.
6. James Harden (Oklahoma City) = Part of the reason The Thunder will make the playoffs.
7. Taj Gibson (Chicago) = Another surprise rookie.
8. DeJuan Blair (San Antonio) = Perhaps the steal of the draft.
9. Darren Collison (New Orleans) = He’ll start for some team in the NBA one day.
10. Ty Lawson (Denver) = The point guard in waiting for Denver.

Sixth Man of the Year
1. Jamal Crawford (Atlanta) = Coming off the bench is perfect for his style of play.
2. Carl Landry (Houston) = Putting up great numbers off the bench this season.
3. Paul Milsap (Utah) = Should be starting for some NBA team.
4. JR Smith (Denver) = Can score with the best in the league.
5. Lamar Odom (Los Angeles) = His bench production is helping the champions again.
6. Jason Terry (Dallas) = Putting up solid numbers again this year.
7. Manu Ginobili (San Antonio) = Revolutionized the sixth man in the NBA.
8. Udonis Haslem (Miami) = Making the most of his minutes this year.
9. Al Harrington (New York) = He’s always been good, but coming off the bench is perfect for him.
10. Marreese Speights (Philadelphia) = He should probably be starting.

Most Improved Player
1. Carl Landry (Houston) = Keeping Houston afloat in the West.
2. Joakim Noah (Chicago) = Helping Chicago make the playoffs again.
3. Corey Brewer (Minnesota) = He’s really stepped up his all around game.
4. Kevin Love (Minnesota) = One of the best young players in the league.
5. Marc Gasol (Memphis) = Helping to make Memphis matter.
6. Danilo Gallinari (New York) = Showing a great skill set this year.
7. Channing Frye (Phoenix) = He’s been better in every area this season.
8. Aaron Brooks (Houston) = Leading his team and they are in the playoff hunt.
9. Chris Kaman (Los Angeles) = Putting up great numbers.
10. David Lee (New York) = No one thought he was All Star material until this year.

Coach of the Year
1. Lionel Hollins (Memphis) = He’s made Memphis relevant and they may make the playoffs.
2. Larry Brown (Charlotte) = Charlotte will make the playoffs for the first time ever.
3. Scott Brooks (Oklahoma City) = The Thunder will also make the playoffs for the first time ever.
4. Mike Woodson (Atlanta) = Trying to lead Atlanta to a title this year.
5. Rick Adelman (Houston) = Missing two big names and still in the playoff hunt.
6. Jay Triano (Toronto) = Has his team in the playoffs.
7. Scott Skiles (Milwaukee) = Has a young team playing solid basketball.
8. Alvin Gentry (Phoenix) = No one thought they would make the playoffs this year.
9. Nate McMillan (Portland) = Keeping an injury plagued team in the playoff hunt.
10. Jerry Sloan (Utah) = It’s a shame he’s never won this award. I think the NBA should name the award after him.

Here are my All Star selections for the 2009-2010 season. A lot of players are going to feel snubbed and a lot of my selections may be questioned, but these are my teams and I’m sticking to them. I went with 3 players for each position. I think the All Star game should be position based and have 15 players total just in case someone gets hurt.

East All Stars

Point Guards
Rajon Rondo (Boston) = I think it is safe to say he has become the best point guard in the east.
Derrick Rose (Chicago) = A fast rising star who is leading a winner.
Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee) = He’s going to make a lot of All Star teams in his future.

Shooting Guards
Dwayne Wade (Miami) = The second best shooting guard in the league.
Joe Johnson (Atlanta) = He is always underrated, but always good.
Stephen Jackson (Charlotte) = Don’t let his past fool you. He is All Star material.

Small Forwards
LeBron James (Cleveland) = The second best player in the league.
Gerald Wallace (Charlotte) = Enjoying a breakout season.
Paul Pierce (Boston) = I think he’s a future Hall of Famer.

Power Forwards
Chris Bosh (Toronto) = Putting up huge numbers.
Josh Smith (Atlanta) = Finally maturing to become a more complete player.
Antawn Jamison (Washington) = Completes the most unorthodox plays and shots.

Centers
Dwight Howard (Orlando) = His numbers are down, but he is still the best center in basketball.
David Lee (New York) = He’d be a star if he was on a good team.
Joakim Noah (Chicago) = His energy helps his team so much.

West All Stars

Point Guards
Chris Paul (New Orleans) = The best point guard in the league.
Steve Nash (Phoenix) = Even as he gets older he still plays great.
Deron Williams (Utah) = About time he makes his first All Star team.

Shooting Guards
Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles) = The best shooting guard and player in basketball.
Brandon Roy (Portland) = Leading his team despite injuries.
O.J. Mayo (Memphis) = A young rising player helping rebuild a franchise.

Small Forwards
Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City) = He has an amazing skill set.
Carmelo Anthony (Denver) = He’s really matured his game the last couple of years.
Rudy Gay (Memphis) = I really thought about putting 4 Memphis players on this team.

Power Forwards
Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas) = The game is in his town and he deserves this spot.
Tim Duncan (San Antonio) = Still a great player.
Pau Gasol (Los Angeles) = A key member of the best team in the west.

Centers
Chris Kaman (Los Angeles Clippers) = Having a breakout year.
Marc Gasol (Memphis) = He deserves to play with his brother in this game.
Andrew Bynum (Los Angeles) = A young rising center in the league.

I’d love to see the National Basketball Association put the 16 best teams in the playoffs, rather than the 8 best in each conference. Here are my top 16 teams.

Top 16 Teams
1. Cleveland = Could be a legendary team if LeBron had better players around him.
2. Los Angeles = The defending champs are still looking good.
3. Orlando = A lot of depth on this team.
4. Utah = I love the starting five and the bench.
5. Denver = A great starting five, but the bench could use another big man.
6. Atlanta = Not a big fan of their bench.
7. Boston = They have aged really fast.
8. Dallas = A lot of good veterans.
9. San Antonio = Another team that is aging fast.
10. Phoenix = Better than most expected.
11. Oklahoma City = Better faster than most expected.
12. Portland = Injuries hurt their ranking here.
13. Memphis = I love the starting five, but the bench is horrible.
14. Chicago = A lot of talent on this team.
15. Houston = Very good, scrappy defenders.
16. New Orleans = They’ve been better since they started playing their young guards.

A lot of people are going to hate my rankings, but here is how I like to look at rankings. I like to imagine the results of a round robin tournament. If everyone had to fight everyone else, what would the results be? Yes, styles make match ups and you have to take into account strengths and weaknesses when picking fights, but if all 10 of the fighters I have listed in each weight class had to fight each other right now here is how I imagine the results. I know some people have already fought each other, but I am not taking past results into account unless they were extremely recent. I am just looking at each fighter’s current skills and athleticism.

265
1) Fedor Emelianenko = Greatest fighter of all time.
2) Brock Lesnar = Possibly the only fighter with the size and skills to beat Fedor.
3) Frank Mir = I like him getting bigger and stronger finally.
4) Junior Dos Santos = Solid boxing and nice aggressiveness.
5) Cain Velasquez = Unlimited cardio and great wrestling.
6) Shane Carwin = Lots of size and lots of power.
7) Brett Rogers = Very heavy handed.
8) Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira = Still has tons of heart and great jiu jitsu.
9) Alistair Overeem = Has a very good skill set.
10) Fabricio Werdum = Solid stand up and great jiu jitsu.

205
1) Lyoto Machida = Can’t argue with an undefeated record.
2) Mauricio "Shogun" Rua = Gave Machida his best fight to date.
3) Rashad Evans = The former champion only has a loss to Machida on his record
4) Quinton "Rampage" Jackson = Only has 1 loss inside the UFC.
5) Gegard Mousasi = Is only going to get better with age.
6) Jon Jones = The best athlete in the division.
7) Antonio Rogerio Nogueira = Great boxing and great jiu jitsu.
8) Thiago Silva = Solid stand up with good power.
9) Rich Franklin = A former champion
10) Forrest Griffin = A former champion who always finds a way to win.

185
1) Anderson Silva = Might go down as the 2nd best fighter of all time.
2) Dan Henderson = Still going strong
3) Chael Sonnen = The ultimate underdog who just wins.
4) Vitor Belfort = Still has very powerful boxing.
5) Nate Marquardt = Has a great skill set.
6) Demian Maia = Maybe the best jiu jitsu in the division.
7) Jake Shields = Good takedowns and great jiu jitsu.
8) Paulo Filho = Only 1 career loss.
9) Mamed Khalidov = Has a very good skill set.
10) Hector Lombard = Good all around fighter.

170
1) Georges St. Pierre = He’s cleared out the division.
2) Jon Fitch = Only UFC loss is to Georges St. Pierre.
3) Thiago Alves = Very powerful and very big for his weight class.
4) Nick Diaz = Has all the skills to beat anyone.
5) Paulo Thiago = Keeps surprising people and upsetting opponents
6) Josh Koscheck = Great wrestling and good power.
7) Paul Daley = Very powerful striker.
8) Dan Hardy = Very technical striker.
9) Diego Sanchez = Great cardio.
10) Dan Hornbuckle = Good all around fighter.

155
1) B.J. Penn = Great boxing and great jiu jitsu.
2) Shinya Aoki = Great submission game.
3) Eddie Alvarez = Very good at finishing.
4) Gray Maynard = Great wrestling and only getting better.
5) Frankie Edgar = Solid wrestling and improving boxing.
6) Kenny Florian = Always a tough fighter.
7) Gilbert Melendez = A very scrappy fighter.
8) Tatsuya Kawajiri = Very talented.
9) Gesias "JZ" Cavalcante = Very talented.
10) Sean Sherk = Still a tough as nails fighter.

145
1) Jose Aldo = The total package.
2) Mike Thomas Brown = Very big for 145.
3) Urijah Faber = Dangerous from every position.
4) Bibiano Fernandes = The current DREAM title holder.
5) Raphael Assuncao = Gives a tough fight to everyone.
6) Josh Grispi = Has a bright future.
7) Masanori Kanehara = Always dangerous.
8) Michihiro Omigawa = Starting to really develop as of late.
9) Hatsu Hioki = Always dangerous.
10) Manny Gamburyan = Looking good at 145.

135
1) Brian Bowles = Undefeated.
2) Miguel Torres = Great in every area.
3) Dominick Cruz = An unorthodox striker.
4) Joseph Benavidez = Solid wrestling and a great athlete.
5) Masakatsu Ueda = Undefeated, but also unproven.
6) Wagnney Fabiano = A tough fight for anyone.
7) Damacio Page = Always dangerous.
8) Rani Yahya = Good all around fighter.
9) Eddie Wineland = Always tough.
10) Antonio Banuelos = A very scrappy fighter.

There is a lot of confusion over what exactly pound-for-pound means. It is difficult to truly define, because it is a made up system of ranking fighters. Pound-for-pound means that everyone weighs the same. Do they get to keep their current advantages and disadvantages though? What should be done about height, reach, muscle mass, etc? Should a fighter’s career record be a factor in the rankings or only the skills they currently possess? There are so many questions that need to be answered in order to come up with a truly accepted pound for pound list. I thought I was just the right person for the job! Here is how I am going to define my own personal pound-for-pound list.

*Everyone weighs the same. The lightest weight class in a major organization is 135. The heaviest is 265. Here is what I am going to do. There is a 130 pound difference between those two weight classes, so let’s cut that number in half to be fair to all fighters. 130/2=65. Now let’s take 65 pounds away from the heavyweights and add 65 pounds to the bantamweights. That means that everyone is 200 pounds flat.

*Fighters get to keep their advantages and disadvantages. Height, reach, and muscle mass in accordance to a 200 pound body will be unchanged.

*A fighter’s career record will be a factor. Just because someone is extremely skilled doesn’t mean that they are a great fighter. Athleticism and mental fortitude play key roles in a fighter’s success.

*The ultimate measure of my pound-for-pound list, other than universal weight, will be a fighter’s skill set. How talented are they in each area of different martial arts?

Now here is my list with a little reasoning for each fighter.

1. Fedor Emelianenko = Great striking, great takedowns, and great submissions. The greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time. Undefeated. Always fights bigger opponents.
2. Anderson Silva = Great striking, great submissions. Not a great wrestler or takedown artist though. Moving between multiple weight classes does help his ranking.
3. Georges St. Pierre = A solid striker with great wrestling and a solid submission game. A very good career record also.
4. B. J. Penn = A solid striker with solid wrestling and great submissions. He’s moved between multiple weight classes during his career also.
5. Lyoto Machida = Undefeated. Could move up this list if he stay undefeated long enough.
6. Jose Aldo = A great striker. His other skills haven’t been seen often enough, but they are there and he can use them at will.
7. Mauricio Rua = A huge skill set. He is dangerous from every position.
8. Gegard Mousasi = Getting better and better every fight. Has a huge skill set already.
9. Brian Bowles = A young fighter who hasn’t had a chance to showcase all of his skills. He is undefeated though.
10. Miguel Torres = Has every skill. Has a great record.