2013-14 NBA Awards Watch: Week 4
This is week four of the 2013-14 regular season edition of HoopsHabit’s NBA Awards Watch. Throughout the season, we will cover the potential winners for each award. Make sure to check back every Monday for the up-to-date projections.
Most Valuable Player
King James is back to playing like a freight train with a full head of steam. (Flickr.com photo/Keith Allison)
1. LeBron James
2. Kevin Durant
3. Paul George
After a slow start, King James now appears to be in midseason form as the MVP favorite. He’s helped lead the Heat to six straight wins and his numbers are 25.3 points, 6.8 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game. Durant is putting up similar type of numbers (leads the NBA in scoring at 29.5 points per game) and has the Thunder on a three-game winning streak as well. George continues his ascend to superstar status and prove he is a legitimate threat to James and Durant for the award, dropping 35 in overtime at Madison Square Garden, outshining Carmelo Anthony for a win. The Pacers also sit a top the Eastern Conference at 12-1.
Most Improved Player
Four weeks into the season and Davis continues to ball. (NBA.com photo)
2. Eric Bledsoe
3. Evan Turner
Davis had another game in which he almost reached double digits in blocked shots with eight against the Jazz. He’s done nothing but add to his resume for Most Improved Player and will be the walk-away favorite to win the award as long as he continues to put up All-Star numbers. Bledsoe has missed the last three games with a shin injury, so that will be something to watch for going forward. Turner is averaging 21.7 points per game, about eight more points than he did last year and is shooting 45 percent from the field, currently the highest of his career.
Rookie of the Year
MCW is playing like a veteran. (NBA.com photo)
3. Ben McLemore
In Saturday’s loss at Indiana, Carter-Williams played like no rookie, slicing up the Pacers defense for 29 points with seven steals. He’s the odds-on favorite to win this award, with Oladipo being a distant second. In back to back losses to Miami, Oladipo scored 20 and 17 points. McLemore is the newcomer to the rankings after tying his career-high 19 points against the Suns and is averaging 8.3 points per game.
Defensive Player of the Year
Hibbert is the league’s block master. Photo Credit: Sacramento Press Media, Flickr.com
1. Roy Hibbert
2. Anthony Davis
Hibbert still leads the league in blocked shots by a slim margin over Davis, averaging 4.3 a game. Davis is also tied for eighth in steals, showcasing his versatility as a defender with his long arms to play passing lanes and block a variety of shots anywhere on the court.
Sixth Man of the Year
Lin has fit in quite comfortably off Houston’s bench. (NBA.com photo)
1. Jeremy Lin
3. Nick Young
Lin had a relatively quiet week, but for the most part has played better for the Rockets in his role off the bench. Under Doc Rivers, Crawford’s minutes have dipped from last season but he’s still at 15.4 points per game for the season. Young’s strong week helped the Lakers finally put together back-to-back wins for the first time all season. He’s now at 13.8 points per game for the year.
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