[球員資訊] 獎排名到目前為止

MVP: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder. There are four obvious contenders for the top-player honors this year: reigning MVP LeBron James, Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, Clippers point guard Chris Paul and Durant. Currently, Durant holds the edge because his numbers have been astounding—he is averaging career highs in shooting, rebounding, assists and blocks—and because his team has been able to be one of the best in the NBA even after losing a star like James Harden.

Rookie: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard has been every bit the high-scoring point guard scouts projected ahead of last year’s draft, and with the New Orleans Hornets’ Anthony Davis suffering a pair of early injuries, Lillard has the inside track on the award. He is averaging 18.4 points, but, more impressive, he is also playing 37.9 minutes per game.

Sixth Man: Kevin Martin, Oklahoma City Thunder. Martin just gets the edge over the Clippers’ Jamal Crawford because of the way he has shot the 3-pointer (47.9 percent) and the way he has meshed with his new team in a bench role.

Defensive Player: Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies. Love the defense that Tony Allen brings to the perimeter for the Grizzlies, but Gasol’s evolution as a defensive player has been too long overlooked around the league. He is the anchor down low for the league’s best defense.

Coach: Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs. He may have irked the commissioner and certain columnists around the NBA, but Popovich has the Spurs—even with a spate of injuries—atop the league again. There are plenty of worthy candidates here, but Popovich deserves more credit than he receives.