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One man's opinion Loughery reveals his regular-season award winnersPosted: Thursday April 11, 2002 6:37 PMUpdated: Thursday April 11, 2002 7:15 PM
The league asked me to help determine this season's individual awards, and here's how I cast my votes:
MVP: Jason Kidd, NetsKidd got my vote because he has turned around the attitude of an entire franchise. The team hasn't merely won on the court with Kidd; the philosophy of the franchise has changed. The Nets had been struggling for years, and Kidd came in and made an enormous difference. They won their first Atlantic Division title ever and recorded 50 wins for the first time as well. Honorable mention: Tim Duncan, Spurs; Shaquille O'Neal, Lakers; Tracy McGrady, Magic; and Kobe Bryant, Lakers.
Coach of the Year: Rick Carlisle, PistonsCarlisle turned around the Pistons' approach to defense, and he helped give Jerry Stackhouse the mental attitude he needed for Detroit to be a successful franchise. My runner-up probably would have been Byron Scott, but New Jersey has a better team. The Nets have Kidd, and Kerry Kittles, Keith Van Horn and Kenyon Martin are healthy, so Scott has more talent to work with.
Rookie of the Year: Pau Gasol, GrizzliesGasol is my winner here because you have to look at the entire 82-game schedule, and he had the best 82 games. It was a tough call, though, as New Jersey's Richard Jefferson and Utah's Andrei Kirilenko were also very solid. But they only came on strong in the second half. In fact, Jefferson didn't even play in the Rookie Game at the All-Star break. If this award was based on future potential, rather than this season's performance, I would have chosen Jefferson. He's a good defensive player, which is unusual for a young player. He plays with confidence and can handle the basketball, but he also has an advantage in that he plays with Kidd.
Sixth Man: Quentin Richardson, ClippersThis one was another tough call, but in the end, it comes down to the full 82-game schedule again, and Richardson had the best 82 games. Clippers teammate Darius Miles, Sacramento's Bobby Jackson, Orlando's Troy Hudson and Seattle's Desmond Mason also made their cases, but I went with Richardson because he had a great year. He would have been starting for most other teams in the NBA.
Most Improved/Best Defensive Player: Ben Wallace, PistonsWallace came out of nowhere to be a major factor. A little credit has to be given to Carlisle in that also, because he set up a defensive system that was conducive for Wallace to block shots and be a defensive rebounder. Whatever the reason, though, he just burst on the scene as a terrific impact player.
Most Surprising Team: Nets, PistonsThis one is a toss-up between New Jersey and Detroit, because nobody expected them to win their divisions. If I were forced to pick one, I'd say Detroit because of its lack of star power. But at the beginning of the year, I picked Detroit for sixth in the Eastern Conference and New Jersey for fifth.
Most Disappointing Team: Miami HeatInitially, I would have said Toronto, but the Raptors have salvaged their season, so you have to look at the Knicks and Heat. I had picked Miami to finish higher in the East (second) than New York, so I'm going with the Heat. With Pat Riley missing the playoffs for the first time in his 20-year coaching career, it was a little surprising that he's already said he'll be back next year, especially since Miami's future as a team is going to depend greatly on how far Alonzo Mourning can come back. He's still good, but he's not the same player he once was.
Kevin Loughery is a former NBA player and head coach. He appears each Sunday on CNN/SI's This Week in the NBA.
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