2012 NBA Awards Races 2.0: Updated Picks and Top Contenders for Every Award

As the close of the regular season approaches, both teams and individuals have found themselves making one last push for placement. Whether that push be for seeding in the playoffs or recognition for individual achievements, you'd be hard-pressed to find a player with nothing on the line.

For the following players, however, the price of sacrifice will be living on in basketball history as one of the NBA's elite. Let's see who has done enough to establish themselves as worthy.

Rookie of the Year

With the regular season coming to a close, there are two aspects of the 2012 rookies that seem to have been forgotten: Kenneth Faried is lighting it up on both ends of the floor and, until recently, Kyrie Irving has been nowhere to be found. This beckons the reasonable question of: could Kenneth Faried win the Rookie of the Year award?

In a year in which Irving has been the favorite for months on hand, Kenneth Faried has suddenly overtaken him in quite a few categories. His Player Efficiency Rating of 22.08 is slightly higher than Irving's 21.18. He's also averaging more rebounds per 40 minutes than Irving is assists per 40, with 13.7 rebounds to 7.1 assists.

With that being said, Kyrie Irving has been doing this all season. His assist per possession ratio of 21.8 remains higher than Faried's 19.9 rebound ratio. He is also averaging 18.7 points per game, much higher than Faried's 10.1.

Furthermore, Irving posts an overwhelming shooting line of .465/.400/.880. That ranks amongst the NBA's elite as well as rookies.

Front-Runner: Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

Dark-Horse Contenders: Kenneth Faried, Denver Nuggets; Isaiah Thomas, Sacramento Kings; Klay Thompson

Most Improved Player of the Year

In 2011, Andrew Bynum posted 11.3 points, 9.4 rebounds and a 66 percent free-throw percentage. In 2012, Bynum is averaging 18.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and a much improved 69 percent shooting from the charity stripe.

Considering Bynum went from one of the more promising 5's to arguably the best in the league, there's no debate about who wins this one.

Honorable mention must be given to Nikola Pekovic of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ryan Anderson of the Orlando Magic and DeMarcus Cousins of the Sacramento Kings. And then there's this guy named Jeremy Lin...

Nevertheless, Bynum is the clear front-runner for this award.

Front-Runner: Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles Lakers

Dark-Horse Contenders: Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks; Nikola Pekovic, Minnesota Timberwolves

6th Man of the Year

For those in hopes of seeing Lou Williams, Al Harrington and Jason Terry overtake James Harden after Metta World Peace's brutal elbow, keep on wishing.

While others have played great ball, no one has done what Harden has been able to accomplish. Harden is averaging 16.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He's also posting a shooting line of .491/.390/.846, efficient enough to play a role in his Player Efficiency Rating of 21.13. That places him in the Top 30 players in the NBA in terms of efficient performance.

The clincher for Harden is the fact that he's one of the three best individual players on one of the NBA's elite. While he doesn't lead his team in scoring like Lou Williams, he is one-third of the NBA's most promising trio.

Front-Runner: James Harden, Oklahoma City Thunder

Dark-Horse Contenders: Al Harrington, Denver Nuggets; Lou Williams, Philadelphia 76ers

Coach of the Year

Gregg Popovich has done the impossible.

Not only are the Spurs sitting atop the Western Conference, but they're now tied with the Tom Thibodaeu-led Chicago Bulls for the best record in the NBA. At the heart of this is great coaching, as players have been placed into the perfect positions to win.

While Tony Parker and Tim Duncan have been phenomenal, as has Manu Ginobili since his return, the Spurs' supporting cast is quite underwhelming on paper. Players such as Daniel Green and Stephen Jackson highlight this title contender. Nevertheless, Popovich has made it work.

Masterfully.

Front-Runner: Gregg Popovich, San Antonio Spurs

Dark-Horse Contenders: Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls

Defensive Player of the Year

This was a tough one to change, as Dwight Howard has done everything and more to hold onto this award. The fact of the matter is, no individual defender has managed to impact their team quite like Tyson Chandler has managed.

Chandler's individual statistics speak for themselves. He's averaging 10.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game, as well as 0.9 steals and a sky-high 18.73 Player Efficiency Rating. Nevertheless, his individual statistics are meaningless in comparison to what he's done for his team.

In 2011, the Knicks ranked 28th in the NBA in terms of points allowed per game. In 2012, they're up to 13th in the league. That's a drop from 105.7 points allowed to 94.8 in 2012, a difference of just under 11 points per game.

Since the trade deadline, the Knicks are also in the Top 5 in each of the major defensive categories. Thank Tyson Chandler for this major overhaul.

Front-Runner: Tyson Chandler, New York Knicks

Dark-Horse Contenders: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic; Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks

Most Valuable Player

Congratulations, Bleacher Report community. You have convinced me of Chris Paul's candidacy. With that being said, Tony Parker remains my choice.

Over the past week, Tony Parker has played the Los Angeles Lakers twice. Over those two games, Parker has led the Spurs to two double-digit victories with averages of 24.5 points, 11.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 65 percent shooting from the floor. He hasn't slowed down in any of the other six games the Spurs have won amidst their eight-game winning streak.

For those who go for the "best player on the league's best team" argument, this one's for you, too. Parker and the Spurs are now tied for the best record in the NBA.

Front-Runner: Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs

Contenders: Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers; Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder; LeBron James, Miami Heat; Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers