NFL Award Predictions

Well unlike the NBA season, the NFL season is coming to a close and while there are some unanswered questions about the playoff picture, I'm pretty clear about my award predictions and here they are:
MVP: Adrian Peterson - I narrowed it down to Peterson and Peyton Manning, both having incredible seasons and both also leading candidates after brutal injuries, but I ultimately went with AP. The reason behind that is [amazing stats aside] the meaning of the word valuable. In football, the most valuable player is a player that his team wouldn't possibly be able to do with this. Don't get me wrong, Peyton means a lot to Denver but Tebow's Broncos were a playoff team. But, Adrian Peterson means the world to the Minnesota Vikings. Adrian is he leader of this team and without him the Vikings would be the worst team in the NFL because they don't have a good passing game, secondary and the only thing that makes their pass-rush decent is Jared Allen. Oh yeah, he's also 200 yards away from breaking the single season rushing record.

Defensive Player of the Year: J.J. Watt - I've been going back and forth between Watt, Aldon Smith and Von Miller but I went with J.J. because of the dimension he brings which the others don't, pass deflections. Watt has 15 pass deflections, better than any non-cornerback in the league. Watt [along with Aldon] is also challenging for Michael Strahan's single season sack record of 22.5. Watt also leads the trio with 74 sacks.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Andrew Luck - In a season STACKED with record-breaking offensive rookie performances I also narrowed this award down to 3 front runners; Luck, Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson. Griffin III [who was born in Japan for those who didn't know] turned a hapless Washington team into the NFC East division leaders with his arm and his feet throwing for over 3,000 yards and rushing for over 750 [a new rookie record] leading Washington in a great position to win the NFC East. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson is one passing touchdown shy of breaking Peyton Manning's rookie rushing record [26]. Russell has led his Seahawks to an automatic playoff spot after routing the division leading 49ers. However this isn't his first blowout victory, in fact it's his 3rd consecutive blowout also beating Arizona 58-0 and then Buffalo 50-17. But Luck has completely transformed this Indianapolis franchise, from going 2-14 to a 10 win team a week before the season ends with a guaranteed playoff spot. Luck has also broken Cam Newton's record for rookie passing yards in a season Luck has accumulated  4183 passing yards heading into week 17 and will likely eclipse the 4200 yard mark. Luck has also done this without a stellar running game [22nd in the league in yards per game] or defense [19th in the league in yards allowed per game] so he's carried this team by himself leading them to multiple fourth quarter comebacks including one against the Green Bay Packers the first game since head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with treatable leukemia, and a touchdown pass as time expired against the Detroit Lions.
Other notable rookie performances:
Alfred Morris - 4th in the NFL with 1413 yards and tied for third with 10 td's
Doug Martin - 6th in the NFL with 1312 yards and tied with Morris for third with 10 td's and a mind blowing fantasy performance in week 9 scoring 51 points [standard-scoring, not PPR]
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Casey Hayward - In what [I've considered to be] an underwhelming season in terms of defensive rookies, there are only 2 particular standouts for me, Casey Hampton the cornerback out of Vanderbilt and Luke Kuechly; tackling machine. Before I explain my decision, I have one question, why is Luke Kuechly not getting any attention at all for DRoY? I mean, he leads the league in tackles and he's done everything the Panthers asked of him, to tackle. He doesn't do much else but he's really good at tackling. But, Casey is going to win this award. Hayward is tied for second in the NFL with 19 passes defended and tied for third in interceptions with 6. In an underwhelming draft class, that's all he needs to take home the award.

NBA Awards Predictions

We're only about a month into the 2012-2013 season, but it's never too early to start predicting:

MVP: Kevin Durant
Durant is the hottest [and by that I mean on fire] player in the NBA. Kevin has been dominating every player and team and is unstoppable. Right now his stats stand at 26 points per game which isn't unusual, but he's become more of a well-rounder team player averaging 6 rebounds per game, 3 stocks [made-up stat by Bill Simmons, steals + blocks] and nearly 40 minutes a game. It appears to be working for OKC because they're currently on a 6 game win streak and remain one of the best teams in the league.

Other candidates: LeBron James - He's still the most athletically gifted and most well-rounded player in the league and is just a year removed from his last MVP victory
Kobe Bryant - He's just one 30 point performance away from being the 5th player to ever score 30,000 points and he remains one of the most prolific scorers and athletes in the game

Rookie of the Year: Damien Lillard
With 1st overall pick Anthony Davis going in and out of the lineup with injuries; the door is wide open for the rookie point guard to take this award from him. Lillard is having a monster rookie season averaging nearly 20 points a game 6 assists and with Lamarcus Aldrige struggling, he's even proving that he may be Portland's best player.

Other candidates: Anthony Davis - Health may be what's holding him back from winning this award, but when healthy, he's an animal; in 6 games this year, Davis is averaging 16 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks a game



Defensive Player of the Year: Larry Sanders - This is by far my boldest prediction, but right now nobody is more deserving of this award than the 3rd year pro from Virginia Commonwealth. The Center/Power Forward is averaging 7 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game, nearly 5 per game in the last 14 days.  Sanders is also one of 2 player [Roy Hibbert is the other] to record a triple double this season consisting of points, rebounds and blocks. Sanders is doing this in a 6th man role, so if he can sustain this level of play, he may soon start, which would lead to even more blocks and rebounds.

Other candidates: Serge Ibaka -  My pick from last year for this award; Serge Ibaka is a block machine, trailing only Sanders for the league lead, averaging 3 per game. He's also setting a career high in defensive rebound [5 per game].
Dwight Howard - Coming off of the most disappointing season in his professional career, Dwight is back. This season, D12 is averaging nearly 3 blocks a game and a steal, totaling him at nearly 4 stocks a game.

                                                                                  Most Improved Player of the Year: Goran Dragic -

Dragic has been deserving a starting role for the past few years, and now he finally has one, and he's the centerpiece of the post-Steve Nash era Phoenix Suns. Goran is averaging 15 points, 6 assists and 2 steals to go along with a .462 shooting pct. Those may not appear as amazing stats when you look at them, but they are sure to improve the as the team builds more chemistry, Dragic may be on his way to averaging a double double.

Other candidates: O.J. Mayo - Mayo has skyrocketed this season and is neck and neck with Goran for this award and I was thinking for 30 minutes whether him or Goran is worthy of this award [I'm still not even sure] Mayo is shooting over 50% on 3 pointers, enough said.
Larry Sanders - [See Defensive Player of the Year]

                                                      
6th Man of the Year: Jamal Crawford -

Usually, I don't like player who can only score the ball, but nobody scores off the bench as well as the 13 year old veteran Crawford. Jamal is averaging 17 points a a game off of the bench on a .442 shooting percentage. But Jamal's real specialty is the free-throw line shooting .932 from the charity stripe. That is ridiculously close to automatic and Crawford just may end up setting the record for highest free-throw percentage in a season.


Other Candidates: Larry Sanders [See Most Improved Player of the Year]
Andray Blatche - Blatche went from exciting young prospect - to underachieving locker room cancer - to being amnestied and then signed to a minimum contract - to leader of arguably the best bench group in the NBA. Blatche is averaging 11 points, 6 and a half rebounds and shooting .477 from the field in only 20 minutes per game!