NBA First Half Awards

The first half of the NBA season hasn't been what many expected. The Atlanta Hawks are in first place in the East followed by Washington and Toronto. The Cavaliers are the current 6 seed, one game above .500. The Knicks are abysmal at 5-36. The San Antonio Spurs are the current 7 seed in the West. The leading scorer in the NBA is not named Durant, James, Anthony, or Bryant. James Harden and his beard lead the way at 26.6 per game (LeBron is close behind at 26 per game). The MVP race is as wide open as it's been in a while with Durant missing the first 17 games of the season and LeBron trying to figure out what's going on in Cleveland. The first half of the season isn't necessarily the best judgment of teams or players as they normally start to pick it up after the break. Here's a look at the first half awards if there were any. 

MVP:

This one could go to a couple of guys; but I'm going with James Harden. The Rockets have the fourth best record in the Western Conference but the bearded one leads the league in scoring, along with 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, and has done much of that without a healthy Dwight Howard down low. He's shooting 37% from three-point range and 88% from the free throw line. His defense isn't elite but nonetheless, he's carried the Rockets to the 4 seed in the West. 

-Stephen Curry is another MVP candidate. He's averaging 23.3 per game and 8 assists (5th in the NBA). He's on the team with the best record in the NBA but has a better supporting cast than what the Rockets have. 

Don't sleep on LeBron though if the Cavaliers make a run in the second half of the season. 

Best Team: Golden State Warriors

This is another toss-up; the Atlanta Hawks are right up there with Golden State, but when you play in the Western Conference and have managed 6 losses thus far you have to be doing something right. You have to take into consideration how early it is in the season; teams like the Cavaliers and Thunder are just getting going and will continue to hit their stride and get better. Right now however, the Warriors are the team to beat in the NBA

Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Davis 

The All-Star continues to make a name for himself among the games best. Playing for a team like the Pelicans there aren't many chances for the national audience to watch him. He's quietly having an MVP-like season with MVP-like numbers. He's averaging 24.2 points and 10.4 rebounds per game along with 2.9 blocks. His length is what makes him so special on the defensive end. Throw in 2 steals a game and Davis is making his case for the Defensive player of the Year. 

Sixth Man Award: Jamal Crawford

This award should be renamed the Jamal Crawford Award because he continues to come of the bench and give the Clippers a main scoring option. The 14-year vet is averaging a solid 15.7 per game, which is right at his career average. He's shooting 33% from three and dishing out 3 assists per game. 

Rookie of the Year: Andrew Wiggins

Unfortunately the race for ROY between Wiggins and fellow rookie Jabari Parker was cut short earlier this season when the Bucks rookie tore his ACL. Wiggins so far in the month of January is averaging 22 per game with 5.7 rebounds per game and shooting 50% from the field. Traded from Cleveland prior to the season for Kevin Love, the first-year player is starting to show why he was the number one pick and why the Cavaliers shouldn't have traded him.