It’s the unofficial halfway point of the 2009-10 NBA season and here are the individuals who helped shape the first half of the regular season.

COACH OF THE YEAR
Nate McMillan, Portland Trail Blazers

McMillan and Mike Woodson were in a dead heat for this award, but I have to give it to the coach who has watched his roster get decimated by injuries and then, to add insult to injury (no pun intended), McMillan ruptured his Achilles’ tendon during practice because the Blazers didn’t have enough bodies to scrimmage. McMillan still wears a walking boot when he’s coaching on the sidelines. Now that’s dedication!

SIXTH MAN OF THE YEAR
Lamar Odom (F), L.A. Lakers

The popular choice here is Jamal Crawford of the Hawks, but if you look Lamar Odom’s overall production in the amount of minutes he plays, he is more of an impact player than Crawford, San Antonio’s Manu Ginobili or Dallas’ Jason Terry. If Odom played more minutes, he would be in the top three in rebounds. He initiates the Lakers’ triangle offense and is a very underrated defender. At 6-10 with guard-like handles, Odom is a nightmare matchup for a lot of teams and he is a vital cog in L.A.’s championship aspirations.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Aaron Brooks (G), Houston Rockets

When the Rockets let go of Rafer Alston, it signaled that the coaching staff and GM Daryl Morey was convinced that Aaron Brooks can, and will be, the point guard of the present and future of the franchise. Brooks has not only lived up to their expectations, he has surpassed them. The ultra-quick point guard has improved his scoring from 11 to 19 and despite the increase in field goal attempts, he is shooting better this season (42%) than last season (40%).

COMEBACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Zach Randolph (F), Memphis Grizzlies

The comeback player of the year doesn’t have to be awarded to a player returning from an injury. It could be someone who was sent to basketball Siberia (see L.A. Clippers) and left to rot there. But Randolph has revived his career in Memphis and was a first-time All-Star this year. Randolph is a 20-10 player and has given the Grizzlies a legitimate inside threat who can command a double team.

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Tyreke Evans (G), Sacramento Kings

Take away Brandon Jennings’ 55-point game against the Warriors and Evans has the more impressive rookie season. The former Memphis stud is averaging 20.3 points, 5.1 assists and 1.6 steals compared to Jennings, who is averaging 16.9 points, 6.2 assists and 1.3 steals. Trade rumors regarding Kevin Martin has solidified Evans’ standing as the foundation of the rebuilding Kings. The rest of the first-team All-Rookie squad should include Stephen Curry (Golden State), DeJuan Blair (San Antonio) and Darren Collison (New Orleans).

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Gerald Wallace (F), Charlotte Bobcats

The easy pick here would be Dwight Howard, last year’s winner. But I can’t ignore Wallace’s impact this season. He is currently seventh in rebounds (10.9), 14th in steals (1.59) and 27th in blocks (1.1.) Those may not be gaudy when paired next to Howard’s stats, but Wallace does more than just rebound and defend. He is the heart and soul of the Bobcats’ second-ranked defense and his all-out hustle doesn’t usually show up on the stat sheet.

MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
LeBron James (F), Cleveland Cavaliers

Last season, I chose Kobe Bryant over LeBron James and Dwyane Wade because the Lakers had the best record. This season, despite major injuries to Mo Williams and Delonte West, the Cavaliers have the best mark at the All-Star break because James has been out of this world and is playing like a demigod. During the Cavs’ 13-game winning streak, LeBron is averaging nearly 30 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists. In his last four games before the break, he posted scoring totals of 36, 47, 32 and 32. His Cavs also knocked off Kobe’s Lakers (twice), Howard’s Magic (twice), Wade’s Heat (twice) and Joe Johnson’s Hawks (twice). It would take a monumental upset for LeBron James not win back-to-back MVP awards.

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OneManFastBreak.net lists the second- and third-year players who will make the jump from above-average player to budding superstar.

KEVIN DURANT, Oklahoma City Thunder, Forward
Mark this down: Kevin Durant will be in the 2009 All-Star Game in Dallas, and he won’t be playing on All-Star Saturday Night. He’ll be playing in the big game on Sunday. If not, then there is something very wrong with the current system. This season’s All-Star Game, which will be played in spacious Texas Stadium, will be a homecoming of sorts for the 21-year-old small forward since he played at the University of Texas. In his second NBA season, Durant averaged 25.3 points per game. When he won Rookie of the Year in 2008, he averaged 20.3. Expect Durant to hit the 25-point mark again in year three of his young pro career.

Expect Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant to challenge for the regular-season scoring title.

DERRICK ROSE, Chicago Bulls, Guard
This is a no-brainer. Rose is the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year and had a coming-out party during the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Boston Celtics. Now that Ben Gordon is gone, Rose will be asked to do a little more scoring this year, as well as organize Vinny Del Negro’s offense. Last season, Rose averaged 16 points a game and 6 assists.

O.J. MAYO, Memphis Grizzlies, Guard
Mayo was arguably the top rookie of the first half of the regular season in 2008-09. But he hit somewhat of wall in the second half and Rose surpassed him in the voting. But Mayo – who averaged 18 points a game in 82 games as a rookie – is a talented young player with a skill set built for the long haul, and I anticipate the former USC star to be THE star for the Griz.

AARON BROOKS, Houston Rockets, Guard
The third-year point guard out of Oregon will be asked to run the show in Houston now that Yao Ming is sidelined with a career-threatening injury and Ron Artest is now in Los Angeles. Brooks burst into the spotlight during the 2009 playoffs, giving the Lakers’ guards fits in a hotly contested seven-game series. Head coach Rick Adelman believed in Brooks so much that Houston traded away starting PG Rafer Alston to Orlando last season, handing the keys to the franchise to the 5-11 lightning-quick guard with a deadly outside shot.

BROOK LOPEZ, New Jersey Nets, Center
With Lopez and Devin Harris, the Nets have nice 1-2 punch at center and point guard despite the loss of Vince Carter, who departed for Orlando. Lopez (7-0, 260) is a legit center with a legit post-up game. He has a nice jump hook going to his right and can barrel his way to the basket when forced to his left. Not many NBA centers have a second move so Lopez is already ahead of the game.

KEVIN LOVE, Minnesota Timberwolves, Forward
K-Love may not excite anyone with his game but his fundamentals are off the charts when it comes to playing the power forward position. He has excellent hands, which allows him to catch any pass thrown to him, be able to rip rebounds away from the opposition and throw those Unseld-like outlet passes. During his rookie season, he averaged 11 points and 9 rebounds so expect those numbers to go up with one year under his belt.

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