It's Halftime

We're roughly halfway through the Association's 82-game schedule; as the All-Star break nears, it's a great time to look back over what we've seen so far and give some respect where it's due: it's time for the Haltime Awards.

Rookie of the Half
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
There's been a heavy load on Rose's shoulders this year; Duhon's gone, Hinrich's been hobbled. He's been looked upon to not only lead an offense that's politely called disorganized (remember he shares a backcourt with Larry Hughes) and features no low post scorers, but do it pretty much on his own. His outside touch needs work, but his ability to get into the lane makes him an extremely dangerous scorer and few point guards are strong and quick enough to stop him. 17 with over 3 and 6 each game; it's hard to say Chicago made the wrong pick.
Regards to: OJ Mayo, Russell Westbrook, Michael Beasley

Sixth Man of the Half
Jason Terry, Dallas Mavericks
Giving this award to a Mav pains me, especially since they're a serious question mark for the postseason now for a second straight year. Still, Terry's responded to his recent bench demotion by averaging a career-high 20/game, hitting .466 from the field. He's provided a push to Dallas' second unit on both ends of the floor with his speedy playmaking and pesky defending; one of Mavs' few bright spots over what's been a consistently inconsistent first half of the season.
Regards to: Manu Ginobili

Defensive Player of the Half
Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
Superman's having another monster year, leading the league in rebounds and blocks and making a strong push for an award he could very well own for most of the next decade. His presence in the post probably deters more would-be penetration than anyone else in the league, and those who do test him are more likely to be swatted than fouled. No player his size can cover ground so quickly; his patrol of the paint looms large enough for him to challenge shots and wax glass like The Admiral used to. His squad's unexpected ascent to the top of their conference can only help his cause.
Regards to: Dwyane Wade, Kevin Garnett, Marcus Camby

Coach of the Half
Stan Van Gundy, Orlando Magic
Proving why Pat Riley was right to trust him with the reigns to his franchise, and why he was wrong to show him the door after his coaching hiatus, Van Gundy's quietly steered the Magic to the league's upper echelon. While he leads a talented roster that's managed to remain healthy and, in the eyes of many, overachieve this season, the Magic's perennial early success has never sen them hold the league's best record after 41 games. They're the league's best road team and recently knocked off three division leaders on a tough Western road trip. No wonder Jeff's reluctant to head back to the bench.
Regards to: Mike Brown, Eric Spoelstra, George Karl

Most Improved Player
Chris Duhon, New York Knicks
After years of oppression under the cold rule of Scott Skiles, Duhon booked it to the bright lights of the Big Apple to play for the stat steroid master, Mike D'Antoni. As a result, his scoring, rebound and assist numbers have all doubled (along with his minutes) and he's posted improvements in every major statistical category (including turnovers, which is to be expected playing 40 minutes as the main ballhandler on a team that leads the league in possessions per game). When the rest of the Knicks start playing with his poise and consistency, they might become a team to respect again.
Regards to: Devin Harris, Jameer Nelson, Danny Granger

MVP
Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
Finally surrounded by a team that can win enough games to solidify his MVP credentials, Lebron's having another unreal season. With Cleveland on pace for 60-something wins and part of every title conversation, his ridiculous numbers are somehow viewed in a more elite context, even though he's averaging fewer points, assists, rebounds and minutes than last year. Adding a second scorer/ballhandler has helped ease his burden on offense, evidenced by a much more energetic commitment on D. As a result, the Cavs are cruising and the dudes nipping at 'Bron's heels in the MVP race will need to do something legendary to catch him.
Regards to: Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard

...and now for a few awards the league doesn't dish out, but are still well deserved:

Disappointment of the Half
Toronto Raptors
After acquiring Jermaine O'Neal and locking up Jose Calderon, there was big talk north of the border prior to this season, but the Raps came out flatter than month-old soda and have played disorganized, brutally soft and defensively challenged ball all season. Injuries aside, their lack of cohesion's led to a 16-28 mark, good for 13th in the East and far from what Chris Bosh is willing to stick around for next summer.

Surprise of the Half
Denver Nuggets
Steadied by the presence of Chauncey Billups, the Nuggets are holding court among the West's top teams, even through the prolonged absence of their most talented player. No longer a one-way, free-wheeling bunch of self-serving scorers, The Nugs have buckled down on defense thanks to the addition of lynchpins Renaldo Balkman and Chris Andersen (bbbbroooooo!) and the newfound health of K-Mart and Nene. The absence of AI (his talents just weren't a good fit for their roster) has no doubt helped them climb into the conference's upper reaches and maybe even finally escape the first round.

Best Acquisition
Mo Williams, Cleveland Cavaliers
While Elton Brand's stuggled to find his spot in Philly, the other big addition out East has git in quite nicely alongside Lebron. Williams filled two voids for Cleveland, giving them another steady ballhandler/distributor and a second player who could create his own shot on the perimeter. As mentioned earlier, he's allowed Lebron to exert himself less on offense which allows him to save energy for D, and barring a serious meltdown, a deep playoff run. As a result the Cavs are on pace to eclipse last year's win total and are winning games more comfortably than any other team in the league. Hard to argue with those results.

Comeback of the Half
Nene, Denver Nuggets
Last season was one Nene would like to forget. He played all of 16 games, sidelined by a bout with cancer that was no doubt indescribably painful and cost him one of his nuts. The way he's played so far this year should help him put his past to rest, dropping carrer-highs of 15/8 while shooting 60% from the field to lead the league. His convalesence couldn't have come at a better time for a team that dumped its starting center for a bucket of Big League Chew over the offseason, and is a big reason why Denver's turning heads around the league with their recent success.

Ham Sandwich of the Half
Eddy Curry, New York Knicks
Curry wins this award not only because, much like a side of ham he's a large, immobile slab of meat, but because he's played an outstanding two minutes all season. Needless to say that for whatever reason (most likely his rubenesque physique and inability to bend at the waist or casually jog), he hasn't commanded a huge role in an offense that thrives on the run, but for a player who dropped 19/7 just two seasons ago, his disappearing act is too disturbing. More disturbing is that with the $10 million he's paying Curry this year, James Dolan could buy a fleet of 40 Bentleys that would provide similar levels of on-court productivity.