Golden State's Stephen Curry headlines the 2014-15 NBA midseason awards: Chris Fedor
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The NBA season has passed the halfway point and the Cleveland Cavaliers are starting to surge, winning four straight games. But the team that many pegged as Eastern Conference favorite still finds itself looking up at Atlanta, Washington, Toronto and Chicago.
Meanwhile, the Western Conference continues to be a shark tank with 22-win Oklahoma City still on the outside of the playoff picture.
There have been plenty of surprises already this season and more are sure to come in the second half.
Here are my midseason awards:
MVP: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
One half of the league's most formidable backcourt nicknamed the "Splash Brothers," Curry is the best player on the league's best team.
He has always been one of the league's most deadly shooters, but is now scoring in a variety of ways and making his teammates better while also holding his own on defense.
The sharpshooter is tearing apart the competition as if he's back at Davidson during the NCAA Tournament and has become the Dubs' unquestioned leader.
Curry is sixth in scoring (23.2), third in 3-pointers made (121), fifth in assists (8.1), fourth in free throw percentage (.915) and first in steals (2.1).
Houston's James Harden, the league's top scorer is nipping at Curry's heels, but Golden State won the season series with the Rockets, 4-0, and the four wins came by an average of 15 points.
Preseason pick: Blake Griffin, Clippers
Most Improved Player: Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
Butler arrived in the NBA with a reputation as a hard-working defensive stopper. The 25-year-old Butler, now in his fourth NBA season, has transformed into a two-way force and likely first-time All-Star while carrying the Bulls' offense through the first 40-plus games.
Averaging career highs in points (20.6), minutes (39.8), rebounds (6.0), assists (3.3) and free throw percentage (.831), Butler has inflated his price tag as free agency rapidly approaches.
Rookie of the Year: Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves
Months ago, this rookie class had the makings of one of the most promising in recent memory. But injuries to Milwaukee's Jabari Parker, Los Angeles' Julius Randle, Orlando's Aaron Gordon and Boston's Marcus Smart has turned the race into a runaway for Wiggins.
Provided he stays healthy and continues his recent rise, Wiggins will add his first of many individual honors.
After an uneven start, averaging 12.3 points on 39 percent shooting in November, Wiggins has flashed star potential in January. He is averaging 20.7 points on 47 percent from the field to go with 5.3 rebounds this month.
Preseason pick: Jabari Parker, Bucks
Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets
Now healthy and happy, Howard is back to being the dominant defensive force that helped Orlando reach the NBA Finals six years ago.
Howard is only averaging 1.42 blocks (19th), and his individual numbers might not reflect it, but Howard has changed Houston's identity. Known last year as an offensive juggernaut, the Rockets are now in the top half of the league in both field goal percentage defense and points allowed after finishing 23rd in the category last year.
Preseason pick: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Coach of the Year: Mike Budenholzer, Atlanta Hawks
A second-half collapse by the Hawks last year nearly cost them a playoff spot. The weak Eastern Conference was the only thing that saved them, finishing eighth with 38 wins.
This year they have ascended to the top of the East and Budenholzer has turned a team without a superstar into a dominant offensive juggernaut thanks to beautiful ball movement, great floor spacing and excellent shooting.
The Spurs of the East can also bring the defense. Atlanta is No. 1 in points allowed (96.1) and fourth in field goal percentage defense (.434).
Maximizing talent is an important trait for a head coach and Budenholzer having Atlanta's roster up to 35 wins already is nothing short of spectacular. He has weathered the off-season storm that included general manager Danny Ferry getting banished.
Budenholzer's fingerprints are all over the Hawks' success and his mentor, Gregg Popovich, would be proud.
Preseason pick: David Blatt, Cavaliers
Sixth Man of the Year: Marreese Speights, Golden State Warriors
Speights was once sent to Cleveland along with a first-round pick in a package for Jon Leuer. Yes, that's correct. Jon Leuer. It was one of the greatest heists of former Cavaliers GM Chris Grant's career.
Now it looks like the Warriors are pulling off the same kind of robbery. Acquired in 2013 on a cheap contract ($11 million over three years), Speights was expected to help replace Carl Landry. The early rewards were troublesome as Speights averaged 6.4 points and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 44 percent from the field.
One year later, the 27-year-old big man has morphed into the most reliable bench player on the league's best team. Early injuries to Andrew Bogut and David Lee as well as improved conditioning gave Speights a platform to shine. He has responded, averaging a career-high 12.6 points and 5.1 rebounds.
His inside-outside game makes him a perfect fit in Golden State's offense. The Warriors' depth has limited Speights to 18.5 minutes per game, but his impact is felt when the Warriors go to the bench and teams can't cut into the lead.
Preseason pick: Taj Gibson, Bulls
Executive of the Year: David Griffin, Cleveland Cavaliers
After a monumental off-season, the engraving of Griffin's name on the trophy commenced. There weren't too many execs that could compete with the first-time GM, who signed Kevin Love, LeBron James, Mike Miller and Shawn Marion. Griffin also inked Irving to a contract extension.
The Cavs struggled early, becoming one of the league's biggest disappointments, falling all the way to the sixth spot in the East. Speculation about David Blatt's future grew louder. And LeBron James' frustration was visible. But a pair of shrewd trades have gotten the one-time fading Cavaliers back into title contention.
Using four of his most valuable assets, Griffin added inside presence Timofey Mozgov, sweet-shooting J.R. Smith and defensive-minded Iman Shumpert, patching three separate roster cracks.
Mozgov had been on the Cavaliers' radar for months and Griffin's persistence as well as forward thinking helped finalize the deal. The injury to Anderson Varejao weakened Cleveland's already thin frontline and Mozgov has given the Cavs the necessary size to compete with the other contenders in the Eastern Conference.
The Cavs weren't good enough three weeks ago. They are now thanks to Griffin.
Preseason pick: David Griffin, Cavaliers
All-NBA First team
Guard, Stephen Curry, Warriors
Guard, James Harden, Rockets
Forward, LeBron James, Cavaliers
Forward, Anthony Davis, Pelicans
Center, Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
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