Philadelphia 76ers' Midseason Awards

It's that time of the year to hand out some awards. No, not the Golden Globes. No, not the Academy Awards. Not even the SAG Awards (whatever they are.) The hype that you feel boiling deep down in your blood is for...The Philadelphia 76ers Midseason Awards.

A drama-free ceremony. Now, there's a thought.

They are going to be spectacular. The red carpet is rolled out. Thankfully there will be no outrageous interviews, nipple slips, or fashion gossip (although I heard Samuel Dalembert and Reggie Evans were looking quite dapper).

And thank God, there will be no sibling kissing or intercourse in the car ride over (I'm talking to you Angelina!)

This will be straight hoops. In lieu of the fashion talk, we will begin by giving grades to each individual player on the Philadelphia 76ers after the completion of 41 games.

Andre Miller- B+: My opinion of Andre Miller is very high. The dude recognizes situations in games. He knows when he must take over the game, and when Iggy or Thad are having the hot night. Simply a crafty player, and dare I say, elite point guard.

Willie Green- C-: Willie started off the season coming off the bench. The bench is his friend; it is where he belongs. He seems like a nice enough guy, but I'm sorry, he is not by any stretch a starter. The best possible scenario for Green is a decent bench player.

Andre Iguodala- B: He started off looking like a bigger waste of money than all the inauguration hoopla. However, since Brand's injury, Iguodala has re-emerged as that all-around performer that earned him his lucrative contract.

Really, it has been night and day. Maybe he will decide to hire someone to slightly re-injure Brand due to his impending return. Just kidding, or am I?

Thaddeus Young- B-: Thaddeus started brilliantly, and I honestly sent text messages comparing him to Michael Jordan. While, that was a slight overstatement, Young was playing awesome. He dipped a bit, but during the team's recent success, he has like Iguodala, resuscitated his season.

While no MJ, Thad will continue to grow, and I will likely send texts referring to him as the next Kobe.

Elton Brand- C: I think all 'Sixers fans were elated when General Manager Ed Stefanski pulled the trigger to land Brand in Philadelphia. After a mere 20 games, nearly every fan was questioning if it was the right move.

Shortly after that, Brand was injured, and has not returned to date. The puzzle piece has not fit yet, but it is way to early to come to an ultimate grading.

Samuel Dalembert- C: Sammy, Sammy, Sammy. Where do I start? His basketball intelligence has improved by zero percent over the course of his seven year NBA career. That my friends, is a steep learning curve.

His hands resemble a mix between Braylon Edwards, and Todd Pinkston when lights get in his eyes. He is unhappy with his minutes. All of this has caused the front office to explore trade possibilities.

Still, the fact remains that at times he is one of the best defensive players in the league. That limited time does not make up for all the aforementioned things.

Lou Williams- B-: After the first 15 games of the season, Lou Will's shooting percentage hovered around the 35 percent mark. He played selfish, and badly. For an unknown reason, his play has greatly picked up over the last month and a half, and is one of the best players of the bench in the entire league.

Royal Ivey- C+: When Ivey was signed over the summer, I expected he wouldn't even dress on most nights. Essentially I thought he would become Kevin Ollie Jr. I was mostly correct during the Mo Cheeks era. Then, the Tony DiLeo era began, and Ivey began to see consistent minutes. Solid defense, and a surprising developing of a 3-point shot have earned him a worthy spot in the rotation.

Marresse Speights- B-: NBA fans, I would like you to introduce you all to Rasheed Wallace's illegitimate son, or maybe nephew minus the bald spot. Speights, as a rookie has more than impressed.

Of course, coaches are at risk to defensive mistakes, but Crazy Speights rarely makes mistakes on the offensive side of the ball. He owns a beautiful touch on his shots, and can tear the rim down. Be warned, he may start to accumulate the technicals like 'Sheed, once he gets more familiar with the NBA.

Donyell Marshall- C: The grade is not for a lack of trying. Marshall has barely appeared in any games this season. He did, almost single-handedly win a game against the Pistons. Other than that, we only have seen him hoist up ill-advised (though is it really ill-advised with Donyell) threes in scrub time.

Kareem Rush- F: Doesn't seem happy. Hasn't played well.

Theo Ratliff- B: For a guy his age, with his injury history, Theo Ratliff can be dominating at times. Even downright defensive. As in blocking shots and influencing poor shots out the wazoo. Great pickup who also is helping Dalembert, ever so slowly.

Reggie Evans- B: I believe, we will hear from Reggie later in the show, but he is a straight up pest. Get in your face, grab your balls, punch you while you are down. And I love it.

Jason Smith- N/A: Smith is rehabbing from a torn ACL, and will be out the rest of the season.

The red carpet ceremony went without incident, now everyone is seated and ready to enjoy the show. Oh wait, I think Elton Brand tripped on the carpet, and will now need to sit out another 20 games. Andre Iguodala couldn't look any happier!

With that, let us begin with the awards.

Award: Best Win of the Season

And the Nominees are...

Jan. 16, 2009 Sixers defeat San Antonio Spurs 109-87

Dec. 5, 2008 Sixers defeat Detroit Pistons 96-91

Oct. 31, 2008 Sixers defeat New York Knicks 116-87

(this was included not just because they crushed the lowly Knicks, but because I attended it just mere hours of the greatest sports parade ever. Go Phillies. )

Nov. 14, 2008 Sixers defeat Indiana Pacers 94-92

And the winner is...

Win over Pacers

Ok, you are saying a two point win over the Pacers is not all that impressive. Well it is when your team trailed by 26 at one point during the game. The Sixers led by Thaddeus Young chipped away at a 26-point deficit, to prove what kind of heart the team really had.

Award: Worst Loss of the Season

And the nominees are...

Dec. 20, 2008 Sixers lose to Indiana Pacers 94-95

Dec. 26, 2008 Sixers lose to Denver Nuggets 101-105

Nov. 1, 2008 Sixers lose to Atlanta Hawks 88-95

Nov. 19, 2008 Sixers lose to Minnesota Timberwolves 96-102

And the winner is...

Sixers lose to Pacers.

We got a theme going here with games against the Pacers. Where the last one was a brilliant comeback, this was a flat out poor effort. The Pacers were missing basically their four best players from this game in Danny Granger, Marquis Daniels, Mike Dunleavy Jr, and Troy Murphy.

They were only able to field a nine-man team on the road. And quite frankly, the Sixers looked like the JV team. Come on, any time Josh McRoberts kills you, it has to be the worst loss.

Award: Best Moral Victory (even though I hate the term)

And the nominees are...

Jan. 3, 2009 Sixers lose to San Antonio Spurs 106-108

Jan. 19, 2009 Sixers lose to Dallas Mavericks 93-95

Oct. 29, 2008 Sixers lose to Toronto Raptors 84-95

And the winner is...

Sixers lose to Raptors.

Let me break down what else happened on Oct. 29, 2008. The Phillies win the World Series! It was the 'Sixers first game, so it was quite meaningless. AND the Phillies won the World Series!

Award: Best Passer

And the nominees are...

Andre Iguodala

Andre Miller

Lou Williams

And the winner is...

Andre Miller. His court vision is uncanny, and easily leads the teams in assists. Undderrated though, is Iguodala's passing ability.

Award: Best Rebounder

And the nominees are...

Reggie Evans

Theo Ratliff

Samuel Dalembert

And the winner is...

Reggie Evans. All worthy candidates. But with a relentless attitude Reggie takes the crown.

Award: Best Defender

And the nominees are...

Theo Ratliff

Samuel Dalembert

Elton Brand

Andre Iguodala

And the winner is...

Theo Ratliff. He can bang with the best in shortened minutes. If you are looking for a perimeter stopper, Iguodala is your guy.

Award: Best Dunker

And the nominees are...

Thaddeus Young

Andre Iguodala

Marreesee Speights

Lou Williams

And the winner is...

Iguodala. Speights is a fierce slammer, but until he gets gypped out of winning a Slam-Dunk competition, the title remains with Iggy.

Award: Biggest Upside

And the nominees are...

Lou Williams

Marreesee Speights

Thaddeus Young

And the winner is...

Thaddeus Young. A version of MJ. Remember?

Award: Best Scorer

And the nominees are...

Andre Iguodala

Lou Williams

Andre Miller

Willie Green (just kidding)

And the winner is...

Lou Williams. In terms of just coming in and lighting it up, Williams can be the man. Highest points per 48 minutes on the team.

Award: Best All Around Player

And the nominees are...

Andre Iguodala

Andre Miller

Elton Brand

And the winner is...

Andre Miller. The coveted award goes to Miller. The crafty professional gets it so many ways.

Award: The Most Annoying Guy in the World that You Love

A confusing award with only one true nominee and therefore winner.

Reggie Evans.

He never stops complaining to the refs. He shoots 1.7 times a game. That is 1.7 times to many. He picks up dumb fouls. Yet, I love him.

He annoys the hell out of other coaches, players, and fans. He causes technicals, bad shots, and is always smiling while doing it.

With that, it is off to the after party(ies).