I always lean toward the guys who elevate themselves from good to great, like Indiana’s Paul George and Philadelphia’s Jrue Holiday, who became All-Stars this season. Both had significant leaps in stats and stature, but George should get the nod because he replaced an injured All-Star and the Pacers didn’t miss a beat.
But the voters will ignore George and Holiday and opt for someone like Greivis Vasquez of New Orleans, Nikola Vucevic of Orlando or Larry Sanders of Milwaukee. All fine choices, but their improvement of their 36-minute averages is in line with the jumps made by George and Holiday, who already were starters and not getting their first chances to play.
I implore my fellow squint-eyed wretches to consult the per-36 numbers.
PRESEASON PICK: Derrick Favors. MIDSEASON PICK: Holiday. My wife changes her mind less than this.
SNOTTY REMARK: Thomas Robinson is positioned very well to win next year.
SIXTH MAN AWARD: Another category with plenty of candidates, including feel-good story Jeff Green, totally indispensable Jarrett Jack and Nate Robinson, about four guys from the Nuggets and Vince Carter, who has reinvented himself and extended his career. Imagine if Allen Iverson had been smart enough to do that.
However, this is a two-man race of New York vs. LA, East Coast vs. West Coast, J.R. Smith vs. Jamal Crawford. Both play for winning teams – an unstated but obvious prerequisite – and impact games on a nightly basis. The Knicks are 19-10 when Smith scores 20 or more. The Clippers are 18-10 when Crawford does the same.
Smith is the better rebounder and playmaker. Crawford is the better shooter. Smith makes game-winning shots. Crawford makes game-clinching free throws.
But the Knicks are 5-2 when Smith scores at least 30 points. The Clippers when Crawford scores 30? One-and-oh.
PRESEASON PICK: Ray Allen. MIDSEASON PICK: Crawford.
SNOTTY REMARK: Stephen Jackson swooped in to steal the Sixteenth Man Award.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: There’s only two issues left to resolve on this matter. One comes Wednesday night, when we find out if Portland’s Damian Lillard joins Wilt Chamberlain and Elvin Hayes as the only rookies to lead the league in minutes played.
The other comes sometime during the playoffs, when we find out if joins Ralph Sampson, David Robinson and Blake Griffin as the only unanimous choices for Rookie of the Year.
If you’re wondering who should join Lillard on the All-Rookie Team, and who should be on the Second Team, we addressed that issue here.
PRESEASON PICK: Damian Lillard. MIDSEASON PICK: Lillard.
SNOTTY REMARK: Could someone please tell the Knicks that their rookies don’t have to be old, too?
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER: Sorry, but Dwight Howard doesn’t make the All-NBA Third Team, which must have a F-F-C-G-G format and should be Blake Griffin, Paul Pierce, Brook Lopez, Dwyane Wade and Russell Westbrook.
And sorry, but Carmelo Anthony is relegated to the Second Team, where he should be joined 
by Tim Duncan, Marc Gasol, James Harden and Tony Parker. The First Team should be LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant.
Although Anthony may get squeezed off the First Team by Durant, he could still finish as high as second in MVP voting because I see the argument that he is more valuable to his team than Durant is to the Thunder.
At the same time, the scoring race should not obscure the fact that Durant is a better rebounder, a way better playmaker and has a much higher PER. He also is on track to join Larry Bird as the only players to average 28 points and shoot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from the arc and 90 percent from the line. Bird did it in the 1986-87 season – and didn’t win MVP.
I’m starting to wonder if Durant is going to be this generation’s Jerry West, who lost in the NBA Finals eight times and was second in MVP voting four times. At the tender age of 24, Durant already has lost one Finals and may be headed for another. And this would be his third runner-up finish in MVP voting.
RELATED: CHRIS SHERIDAN’S MVP RANKINGS
Such is life when you are up against James, who has assumed total ownership of the league and simply rents out small slivers of it. He is going to win his fourth MVP award in five years, something Michael Jordan cannot say (although Bill Russell can).
James’ PER is 31.75, a shade higher than Jordan’s best and second all-time behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 31.82 in the 1962-63 season. He authored a 27-game winning streak that somehow made the NBA relevant during the NCAA Tournament. He is shooting above 40 percent outside the arc and above 60 percent inside it.
James’ overall and 3-point shooting are career bests and his turnovers and fouls are career lows. He went a whole month without shooting below 50 percent in a game. He shot under 40 percent just four times – and above 80 percent four times. He went two weeks without committing a foul.
We are all witnesses.
PRESEASON PICK: Kevin Durant. MIDSEASON PICK: Durant. Sorry, Kev, I tried.
SNOTTY REMARK: Joining James as a unanimous winner should be DeMarcus Cousins as Most Volatile Player.