Last night was the biggest night in Hollywood. Every actor/actress who is someone was in Los Angeles trying to see if they would come away the big winners of the evening. “Argo” took home best picture. Daniel Day-Lewis won his third best actor award, and Jennifer Lawrence wouldn’t let a small stumble keep her from accepting the best actress award.
Last Sunday was the night that all the biggest names in the NBA shared the same stage as the 62nd All-Star Game took place in Houston. The best of the best put on a rousing show that ended in a 143-138 win for the Western Conference, with Chris Paul earning the MVP honors after dropping 20 points and 15 assists.
With regular season play already resumed, we are entering the home stretch as teams jostle for playoff positioning. However, to play off of the Oscars, we are giving away awards to, unlike the academy, the most deserving people.
Since there are no women currently playing or coaching in the NBA, I had to make a few small changes to certain categories.
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Best Picture: San Antonio Spurs
Since the Best Picture category usually relates to the critics favorite movie of the year, I thought the best way to relate it to the NBA was to choose the best team in the league.
Coming in with a league-best record of 45-13, the San Antonio Spurs easily take this award. If you ever want to teach someone the proper way to play basketball, pop in a tape of the Spurs and make them watch. San Antonio doesn’t possess one of the most exciting or electrifying rosters in the NBA, but the one thing they know how to do is play fundamental basketball. Gregg Popovich has drilled it into their heads to the point that they seem robotic at times. Even with star players like Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili missing time, the Spurs have shown that right now, they are the best team playing basketball.
Best Actor in a Leading Role (East): LeBron James
LeBron James is the best basketball player on the planet right now. Plain and simple.
Going into the All-Star break, James had put together a stretch that had never been done before in NBA history. For six straight games, he tallied 30 points while shooting 60 percent or better from the field. The streak ended in the Miami Heat’s final game before the break, yet LeBron still chipped in 39 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a 110-100 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s taking his game to a level not many of us thought was possible.
After scorching his way to his first NBA championship, LeBron 2.0 has become an unstoppable, immoveable, unguardable machine. There is no one else in the game that can even try and play the way he has in 2013. He is definitely the early frontrunner for the MVP trophy, which would be his fourth, and therefore he is the East’s “Best Actor in a Leading Role.”
Best Actor in a Leading Role (West): Tony Parker
Before writing this article, I was convinced that nobody in the Western Conference was having a better year than Kevin Durant. Then Tony Parker happened.
Just this past week, he dominated the best point guard in the league (Chris Paul) to the tune of 31 points and seven assists while CP3 was only able to put together four points and six dimes. While Durant is having one of the greatest offensive seasons in league history, Parker has been the straw stirring the Spurs drink. His averages don’t necessarily jump off the screen, but if it weren’t for him, the Spurs wouldn’t be anywhere near the top of the standings.
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (East): David West
During the first few months of the season, the New York Knicks were playing and shooting like the best team in the NBA. A reason for that was guard J.R. Smith having a Sixth Man of the Year-type season. Lately, the Knicks are coming back to earth, while the Indiana Pacers are taking off. Led by the stellar play of Paul George, they have jumped into the No. 2 spot in the East.
While George has spearheaded the Pacers run, David West has been as important as a second fiddle could possibly be, dropping 17.2 points and 7.6 rebounds a night. If the Pacers are to keep a hold on the No. 2 spot, West must keep playing as well as he has all year.
Hit page 2 to see why the Warriors deserve a best costume award…
Best Actor in a Supporting Role (West): Jamal Crawford
Jamal Crawford is going to win the Sixth Man of the Year award. I guarantee it.
He is the spark off the bench that the Los Angeles Clippers need, and his offensive one-on-one ability is second to none. He’s second on the team in scoring with 16.7 points per game, ahead of both the guards starting over him – Chris Paul and Chauncey Billups. Crawford’s steady play is something the Clippers rely on and he has answered the bell nearly every time in the fourth quarter. When he falters, so do the Clippers.
The Clippers have one of the strongest benches in the NBA and if they continue to get the same production that they’ve gotten so far this season, they will be a threat to make the NBA Finals.
Directing: Gregg Popovich
There’s a common theme here, and it all takes place deep in the heart of Texas. Popovich is once again in control of the best team in the NBA. It’s inconceivable how this man has only amounted two Coach of the Year awards during his 16 seasons in San Antonio.
Players like Danny Green (second-round pick), Matt Bonner (second-round pick), Nando De Colo (second round) and Gary Neal (undrafted) have developed into key pieces for San Antonio, and while Pop can’t get all the credit for their development, he finds ways to make them productive while working them into the rotation. Popovich is the NBA equivalent to the New England Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick.
The Spurs are always in contention for one of the West’s top playoff seeds and homecourt advantage. This year is no different.
Costume Design: Golden State Warriors
On Friday night, the Golden State Warriors debuted their new short sleeve uniforms. At first I was not a fan of the new look. I could never play in t-shirts and wouldn’t understand how someone could intentionally switch from sleeveless to sleeves. But when I saw them on ESPN and watched Jarrett Jack erupt for 30 points and 10 assists against the Spurs, my mind instantly swung to the other side. The folks at adidas wouldn’t release a new product that would hinder the talents of the players, and with the sleeves being form-fitted, I doubt it has much effect on the players.
Golden State has been one of the surprising teams of the season, and their ascension back into the playoff picture has been thanks to a young core: Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and second-year coach Mark Jackson. If any team could’ve pulled off this look, the Warriors were the perfect team for the job.
Which player deserve some type of award this season that probably won’t get one?
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