JNBA Season 8, Midseason Awards...


MVP:

We have two categories, players that are the best in the league, and players that have made huge differences for their teams.

Great Players:

Danny Polston (SG, Den):  Arguably the best pure player in the league, he's also the best player on a 27-15 team that should, on paper, be better.

Sean Caswell (SF, KC):  You can't have an MVP discussion without Sean Caswell, but he has missed a third of the season so far, and Kansas City never missed a beat.  Hard to really vote for a guy like that.

Carlos Hermann (SG, Was):  Hermann's always struggled to get respect, because he shares the team with Jack Jay.  Now, Jay's out for a few months, and Washington's only been able to win 60-70% of its games since.  That's still good, but it's hard to argue that Hermann is the best player in the JNBA based on that.

Franklin Curenton (SF, Sac):  Everyone's favorite choker, Curenton is the only reason that Sacramento is 500, since every other starter has been injured this year.

Difference Makers:

Steven Holmquist (SF, Cin):  Holmquist has been lurking in the background on several mediocre Cincinnati teams, and his seasons have often been marred by injury.  This season he's been injury-free and Cincy has invested in Ramiro Deltrick, a quality SG in free agency, and now Cincinnati seems a lock for a 2-4 seed.  You have to give Holmquist credit.

Steve Monroy (PG, Hou):  Yes, Monroy's old, and yes, Houston's been unreasonably healthy, and yes, Houston now has Mike Colvin.  But you have to give some love to the best player on a 37-5 team.

Franklin Stoops (C, KC):  Stoops is the heir apparent to Sean Caswell in Kansas City.  And when Caswell went down for a month, they still went 12-2.  Perhaps some of that was luck, but there can be no doubt that Stoops is the real deal, easily the best offensive center in the game.

Current Rankings:

1.  Franklin Stoops
2.  Steven Holmquist
3.  Danny Polston


Rookie of the Year

1. Stephen Abrego (SG, Dal, #1 Overall):  Abrego has been a difference-maker for Dallas this year.  True, Dallas is not going to make the playoffs, but there weren't making them when they had Jeffrey Sherer either.  Since trading Sherer for draft picks that yielded Abrego, Dallas has not gotten noticeably worse, and has a lot of upside.  Abrego has not been a super-star by a long shot; people looking for the next Franklin Crowl were disappointed in him.  But he's holding his own in the Western Conference, and that's as much as you can hope for sometimes.
2. Todd Witte (PG, Orl, #4 Overall):  Witte fell to Orlando at the fourth pick, but has clearly proved that he belongs in the JNBA.  Orlando is not terribly good this year, but Witte and Caro have been showing a chemistry together that suggests the potential for an excellent partnership.  
3. Earl Phan (SF, SD, #13 Overall):  Phan was a prospect that was praised for his talent, and bemoaned for his fragile body.  San Diego took a flier on him at #13, and received the mixed blessing.  When on the court, Phan is an excellent player.  However, midway through December, Phan blew out his knee, and will be watching the rest of San Diego's season from the bench.

Title Contenders:

1. Washington:  Washington has kept the top spot in the East, despite not having Jack Jay for two straight months.  I don't know if Washington is better than Houston or Kansas City.  But I do know that there is no second team in the East to challenge Washington, unless New Jersey manages to stay healthy for more than a week at a time.  The smart, conservative choice to make their third straight Championship series.
2. Kansas City:  Tied with Houston, and not as dependent on remaining healthy.  Houston looks very, very, good this year, but you bet against Kansas City at your own peril.
3. Houston:  Houston only needs to make the playoffs with Steve Monroy and Mike Colvin intact.  Monroy is still the best playoff scorer in the league; they have as good a chance as anyone.
4. Denver:  Denver has never done well in the playoffs, but the overall excellence of their roster makes them as good a bet as anyone left.
5. New Jersey:  If healthy, I believe New Jersey is one of the top four teams in the JNBA.  They just suck at staying healthy.  But they still deserve inclusion.
6. Cincinnati:  Unlike NJ and Was, they've been untouched by injury, but are merely keeping pace. Not a strong bet.
7. Minnesota:  Yeah, they had a 7-7 December with no injuries of note.  But Brett Whitesell has proven to be a monster in the playoffs, and thanks to him, Minnesota still has an outside chance.