King James doesn't deserve the rookie crown

Sporting News, The, April 26, 2004 by Sean Deveney

Being a Chicagoan, yours truly knows a thing or two about rigged elections, and when it comes to this year's Rookie of the Year vote, something smells foul. LeBron James won the award, which is strange because Denver's Carmelo Anthony so clearly is the league's best rookie this year.

Statistically, James and Anthony are even. Anthony's scoring (21.0 points) and rebounding (6.1) averages are a bit higher than James' (20.9 and 5.5), and James has a big lead in assists (5.9 to 2.8). Anthony has fewer turnovers (3.0 to 3.5), and James has a slight edge in steals (1.7 to 1.2) and blocks (0.7 to 0.5), though he and Anthony are about equal defensively. If you want a stat that matters, jot this: Anthony is a better shooter across the board, leading James in field goals (42.6 percent to 41.7), 3-pointers (32.2 to 29.0) and free throws (77.7 to 75.4).

May the basketball gods, however, punish those who determine awards strictly on stats. May the gods also punish those who give out annual awards based on anything other than the year in question. There's only one explanation for a James vote: The voter thinks, eventually, James will be the better player. That might be true. However, the award is called "Rookie of the Year." That means this year.

The Nuggets' performance should have made this a runaway win for Anthony. Denver went from 17 wins to 43 wins and into the playoffs in the rock-'em-sock-'em West, while the Cavaliers fell apart like a wet paper bag in the sad-sack East. Arguments that James was more valuable to his team, or that Anthony had a better team around him, don't hold up. In fact, each player took roughly the same percentage of his team's shots (22.9 percent for James; 21.7 for Anthony). They were equally important.

Perhaps hype and expectations factored into James' victory, but my ballot was filled out based on the performances of the two players. Anthony simply performed better, by a slight but measurable margin. He got my vote.

1. Anthony, Nuggets

2. James, Cavaliers

3. Dwyane Wade, Heat

Most Valuable Player

Kevin Garnett should have won the MVP award last year, though Tim Duncan was worthy. Those two should be the top vote-getters again, but Garnett will win. He shot 49.9 percent from the field, 79.1 percent from the line and averaged 24.2 points, 13.9 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Duncan was predictably good, but injuries kept him out of 13 games and limited his effectiveness in others. Behind him, the Pacers' Jermaine O'Neal will, someday, be the MVP. But he'll have to shoot much better than 43.4 percent.

1. Garnett, Timberwolves

2. Duncan, Spurs

3. O'Neal, Pacers

4. Peja Stojakovic, Kings

5. Shaquille O'Neal, Lakers

Defensive Player of the Year

This is Ron Artest's year to break Ben Wallace's two-year hold on the award. Artest is the league's most persistent, intense defender. During a game in Boston, Arrest covered Paul Pierce so tightly that he pulled Pierce's shorts down. That's the kind of thing that should win awards for D. Wallace was solid, as usual, but nagging injuries slowed him. Theo Ratliff, who was a monster in the paint after being traded to the Blazers, deserves recognition, too.

1. Arrest, Pacers

2. Wallace, Pistons

3. Ratliff, Trail Blazers

Coach of the Year

This was the toughest award to call. Those deserving of votes included Rick Carlisle, Larry Brown, Terry Porter, Stan Van Gundy, Flip Saunders, Gregg Popovich, Hubie Brown, Jeff Bzdelik and Jerry Sloan. Each got his team to play above expectations. Some sifting, though, leaves three teams--Utah, Memphis and Milwaukee--that demolished expectations. Among that group, no team looked worse off entering this season than Sloan's Jazz with Carlos Arroyo and Andrei Kirilenko replacing John Stockton and Karl Malone. But Sloan taught these guys to cut, pick and shoot when they were open and to be pesky, smart defenders. This looked a lot like any other Jazz team, and it won 42 games--just five fewer than Utah won last season.

1. Sloan, Jazz

2. Brown, Grizzlies

3. Porter, Bucks

Sixth Man

Antawn Jamison has impressive averages of 14.8 points and 6.3 rebounds, and Manu Ginobili's sizzle and flair can turn a game. But no guy was more consistent off the bench than Al Harrington. The Pacers plug in Harrington during the first quarter of every game, and they know what they'll get--an excellent defender who can create mismatches with his size, quickness and ability to work in the post. He can take over games, but he is at his best when he gives the Pacers 12 to 15 points and five to 10 rebounds.

1. Harrington, Pacers

2. Ginobili, Spurs

3. Jamison, Mavericks

Most Improved Mayer

There were signs last season that Zach Randolph could be a good big man, especially during the playoffs, when he averaged 13.9 points and 8.7 rebounds. Randolph used that momentum to become a franchise player, with averages of 20.1 points and 10.5 rebounds. After Randolph, one of the nicest surprises of the year was 76ers center Samuel Dalembert, who seemed ready for an early exit from the NBA after 34 unimpressive games in two previous years. This season, Dalembert became a fearsome shot blocker and a good rebounder. On another level, the Heat's Lamar Odom improved from a wayward talent to a well-rounded star and was the force behind Miami's surprise success.