2009-10 NBA Awards...You Don't Want: Midseason Edition

We have reached the midpoint of the season and it's time, once again, to evaluate the performances thus far. While everyone is handing out their midseason hardware for excellence, I'm going another direction.

These awards are for the poor performers and bad teams. I took a look around the league a quarter of the way through. Now we have a new lineup, with one exception.

Now that all of the teams have played more than half of their games, it's time for the midseason awards you don't want.

Only Valuable Player (OVP) Dwyane Wade

Last time I put together these awards I was hit with a dilemma. Just as I was writing in Chris Paul as the OVP, he went down with an injury. Well, the New Orleans point guard has given us a little Deja-Voodoo by getting hurt again.

The previous OVP pick, LeBron James, is actually getting decent production from his supporting cast. Considering his improved situation, we are left with Miami's Dwayne Wade.

Sure, Wade has Michael Beasley, but he is not yet a guy you can rely on every night. Jermaine O'Neal has played fairly well lately, but his best days passed shortly after he punched out that fat Pistons fan.

That leaves Wade with Mario Chalmers/Rafer Alston, Udonis Haslem, and an aging Quentin Richardson. Needless to say the '09-10 Heat are hardly the Showtime Lakers.

This leaves D-Wade with a decision to make at the season's end. Wade becomes a free-agent and has to either re-sign with the hope that the Heat can lure LeBron, Chris Bosh, or another marquee free-agent or bolt to a team that can contend.

With Dwyane Wade averaging 27 points a game and carrying his team with little support, the frontrunner for the OVP will definitely look to improve his situation in 2010-11.

Dishonorable Mention: Monta Ellis (Golden State Warriors)

Most Defensive Player (MDP) Tracy McGrady

Last time around, I had Allen Iverson as my MDP. He had just left Memphis and was mulling retirement. After signing with the Sixers and settling into his role on poor team, the Grizzlies turned into a serious contender.

That leaves Tracy McGrady as the most defensive guy in the league. McGrady has been forced to defend his ability to compete. Upon returning from injury, T-Mac was told that the team really didn't need him anymore.

The Rockets flirted with the idea of giving McGrady limited minutes to showcase his skill for potential suitors. Apparently, Houston felt that the experiment was too much of a distraction for the team and kept T-Mac off the court.

Tracy McGrady is currently sitting in NBA purgatory, waiting to be traded. McGrady has reason to be defensive, considering that a healthy T-Mac was one of the premiere talents in the league.

Dishonorable Mention: Amar'e Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns)

13th Man of the Year Chris Paul

As I alluded to before, Chris Paul was penciled in to be the OVP as he shined upon returning from injury. The Hornets took another major blow with CP3 suffering a knee injury that will keep him out indefinitely.

As Paul watches from court side, rookie Darren Collison will work with a sub-par starting lineup. In his first two games since the Paul injury, Collison has recorded 32 total assists.

Maybe the value of Chris Paul goes beyond his contribution on the court. New Orleans has proven that they can play well with CP3 watching from the bench. The would prefer, however, to have Paul on the floor.

Dishonorable Mention: Blake Griffin (LA Clippers)

Least Improved Player (LImP) Vince Carter

Shaquille O'Neal previously held the title of LImP when it looked like he wasn't going to work out in Cleveland. It seems as though Shaq has gotten back on track with LeBron and the Cavs are rolling.

That brings us to the other big pickup of the offseason, Vince Carter. Coming to Orlando with Ryan Anderson from New Jersey in exchange for Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, and Tony Battie, Carter was expected to fill the void left by Hedo Turkoglu's departure for Toronto.

The Magic saw Vince as a big time shooter that could play a more athletic game than Turkoglu. What they got, was an aging star in the twilight of his career that makes poor decisions and takes shots from other players.

Carter has seen his points per game drop from 20.8 to 15.6 while his minutes remain similar to last year. VC is shooting a career low .382 from the floor as well as lows in steals, rebounds, and assists.

The real problem goes beyond the numbers. Orlando didn't count on Carter to carry the Magic like he had done with previous teams, but fit into a role. Carter has been little more than a distraction in Orlando, proving that you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but he will eventually get worse at the tricks he knows.

Dishonorable Mention: Ron Artest (LA Lakers)

Hookie of the Year (HOY) Hasheem Thabeet

Last time around, I went with Jordan Hill of the New York Knicks for his Hookie campaign. Well, Hill still hasn't shown up, providing limited production in limited playing time. The only thing that has changed is that Hasheem Thabeet of Memphis has proven to be a bigger bust.

The No. 2 overall pick was the preseason favorite to be this bust of the draft. However, no one could foresee that the Grizzlies would become contenders and actively shop Thabeet around the league. That's exactly what's going on now.

The Grizz have defeated the Lakers, Magic, and Spurs recently and are getting outstanding production from C Marc Gasol and All-Star PF Zach Randolph.

The need for Thabeet seems to have passed in Memphis as the team has shifted their focus from the future to the now. Anytime a No.2 overall pick is on the trade market before All-Star Weekend, red flags go up quicker than a communist revolution.

Dishonorable Mention: Jordan Hill (New York Knicks)

Hot Seat Coach (HSC) Mike Dunleavy

My selection for Hot Seat Coach proved accurate when the Nets fired Lawrence Frank a week after the pick. Turns out, Frank wasn't the problem in New Jersey as the team continues it's losing ways. I say, give the job to Jersey Shore legend "The Situation." The team may continue to lose, but ticket sales are sure to go up.

With Frank out of the picture, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy can take a seat in the heat—I don't mean Miami. With a decent lineup at his disposal, Dunleavy has underachieved and made poor decisions night after night.

With the addition of Blake Griffin next year, a possibly high draft pick, and cap room to sign a big name free agent, the Clips are set for some big expectations for the coming years.

Is Mike Dunleavy in that picture? More than likely, the answer is a big no. It looks as though the time has come for LA to move on and find their coach of the future. I hear Lawrence Frank is available.

Dishonorable Mention: Don Nelson (Golden State Warriors)

General Mismanager of the Year (GMY) Ernie Grunfeld

Because the season was so young, I placed Donnie Walsh in this spot. In all fairness, it was a bit premature and the Knicks have improved a bit. Who knows, maybe Walsh has a master plan?

That said, Ernie Grunfeld has leaped to the top of this list, though he has a chance to fix the problems he has to address. He has his work cut out for him as those problems continue to mount.

The biggest problem is Gilbert Arenas. Grunfeld brought Arenas to Washington and inked him to a $111 million deal. Now that Gilbert had been arrested on gun charges, plead guilty, and has been suspended for the remainder of the season, Grunfeld is regretting the long-term deal.

Forcing Grunfeld to pursue a solution to this dilemma is Gilbert Arenas' statement that he won't play for Ernie Grunfeld again. It appears as though Arenas is blaming Grunfeld for getting him busted and is forcing his hand.

Now Grunfeld is forced to re-imagine the Wizards and contemplate trading Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, and Brendan Haywood, and plan for the future. This is never good for the job stability of a GM in the NBA.

We shall see how this pans out for Grunfeld, but regardless of the results, the immediate future looks bleak for Washington basketball.

Dishonorable Mention: Kiki Vandeweghe (New Jersey Nets)