Week 24 NBA Fanalyst Rankings: Award Tour

It’s the last week of the regular season, all 8 playoff spots are clinched and 6 of the playoff seeds are set. That means the only thing left to do is reflect on the season and analyze who the award winners will be in the last Fanalyst Rankings of the regular season.

There are two sides to every NBA Power Ranking: the Fanalytical and the Fanatical. As a Miami HEAT blogger living on the east coast, MHI plays the fanalyst for the Eastern Conference. As a Denver Nuggets fan living west of the Mississippi River, Mrs. NBA plays the fan and provides the slander. The roles are reversed for the Western Conference.

1. Miami HEAT (64-16, prev. rank: 1)

MHI: LeBron James is the Most Valuable Player in the NBA this season and he didn’t even play the games all-out at full-speed. That says a lot about how good he is and even more about how good the HEAT will be in the playoffs when he goes full throttle.

Mrs. NBA: Miami is the best blah blah blah.

2. Brooklyn Nets (47-33, prev. rank: 2)

MHI: Deron Williams passed Tony Parker in Wins Produced by PGs after getting injections in his ankles and playing himself into shape while Parker broke down, so maybe he’s played himself onto the All-NBA 3rd Team, but he’s still produced less wins than Steph Curry. If the Nets had taken the opportunity presented by Hurricane Sandy to REALLY give back to the community, maybe 1 of their players could win the Citizenship Award but all I heard D-Will did during the storm was watch UFOs.

Mrs. NBA: YAWN

3. Indiana Pacers (49-31, prev. rank: 3)

MHI: The Pacers allow the lowest level of production at SF in the NBA. That should be enough for Paul George to follow-up his all-star selection with a selection to the All-Defense team. Will he provide enough offense for the Pacers to meet the HEAT in the Eastern Conference Finals?

Mrs. NBA: Unless Paul George morphs into a superstar in the playoffs, Indiana's playoff stint may be a short one.

4. New York Knicks (53-27, prev. rank: 4)

MHI: Carmelo Anthony won’t win MVP but he will make his 6th All-NBA team. The Knicks won’t make the Eastern Conference Finals if Tyson Chandler can’t stay healthy after battling Kevin Garnett and the Celtics in the 1st round.

Mrs. NBA: They'll be lucky to advance past the second round.

5. Chicago Bulls (43-37, prev. rank: 5)

MHI: Joakim Noah was the 2nd-most productive center in the NBA this season, but injuries may prevent him from being named to an All-NBA team. Injuries may also prevent him and the Bulls from getting out the 1st round of the playoffs.

Mrs. NBA: Bulls are still defensive and all that, but when are going to discuss the elephant in the room: Derrick Rose.

6. Atlanta Hawks (44-36, prev. rank: 6)

MHI: There will be no awards for the Hawks this season. Al Horford started off the season too slow and Josh Smith is fucking Josh Smith. Will he be a max player for the Hawks if they pull off an upset in the 1st round of the playoffs? Doubt it.

Mrs. NBA: AtLOLanta.

7. Boston Celtics (41-39, prev. rank: 7)

MHI: The only awards the Celtics are eligible to win this season are lifetime achievement awards for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. It could be one of the 5 greatest achievements in their careers if they manage to lead a legion of D-Leaguers into the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Mrs. NBA: Who cares when they'll be eviscerated round one.

8. Detroit Pistons (28-52, prev. rank: Unranked)

MHI: Andre Drummond’s production in his rookie season helped the Pistons to win more division and conference games than the Milwaukee Bucks. Drummond should make the All-Rookie 1st Team and the Bucks should be ashamed of the way they limped into the playoffs. #FearTheDeer my ass.

Mrs. NBA: The Pistons??? LOL. The East sucks.