All-Star Weekend is over and the NBA is heading toward the home stretch of the regular season. But before we move on to the trade deadline and the playoff hunt, let's take a look at the first half of the season and the races for MVP, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year.
Who are your midseason picks for these major awards?
The MVP race is one of the most loaded of all time. Russell Westbrook and James Harden are putting up ridiculous numbers (and tons of triple-doubles) but LeBron James is lurking, as he has helped the Cleveland Cavaliers stay afloat despite an avalanche of injuries. Isaiah Thomas has forced his way into the conversation with gaudy scoring on a rising Boston Celtics team.
Rookie of the Year seemed to be Joel Embiid's award to lose, but his recent knee injury has opened the door for other rookies, including teammate Dario Saric. Yogi Ferrell's meteoric rise could get him on the ballot.
Coach of the Year is also loaded this season, with candidates who are always in the mix for this award, such as Gregg Popovich and Steve Kerr, as well as Scott Brooks of the Washington Wizards, who has led his team to a massive turnaround in his first year with the franchise.
-- Sam Henken
