Really no explanation needed. He’s the best player on this team and has been since 2000. This team is completely lost without him, and he is our leader. There is no question he is the team MVP.

After years of searching, it seems as though the Celtics have finally found their point guard of the future. He’s got a very high basketball IQ and he is a good decision maker (he makes the right decisions quickly as well, which is the more promising aspect of it all). He is very quick and athletic, he can get to the rim and either finish with a runner or a loud/unexpected slam. He’s a terrific playmaker that turns nothing into something quite often. To add on, he is also a tenacious defender who comes up with loads of steals and also looks like he’s going to be a lock-down defender for years to come. If this kid ever develops a semi-respectable jumper, he’s going to be unbelievable.

This was tough, considering our best defender went down in January (Tony Allen). He would have easily gotten this, but I give it to Rondo. Here’s why: First off, he obviously has great quickness and anticipation skills, so he’s able to get a lot of steals without “cheating” too much. Secondly, he’s one of the best rebounding guards I’ve seen in a very long time. Thirdly, he doesn’t get “burned” all that often. Finally, notice how we have been running a hell of a lot more this past month or two? That’s all because of Rondo’s ability to get every single loose ball around him and get stops for us to ignite the break.

This was by far the most clear-cut award. “Big Al” went from an injury plagued young guy who half the fans wanted traded (not me!) to half the city’s favorite player, a consistent double-double guy, and a legit low-post scoring option with a jaw-dropping array of post moves. Al has even been much more of a vocal leader as of late. Big Al gets this award easily, nobody else is in contention.

I just can’t give this award away. We have had far too many injuries to ever establish a set rotation, especially in the second half of the season, and everybody has gotten their chance to start. Everybody has switched off, the rotation changes on a nightly basis, for the most part. I can’t give this award to anyone, that’s how bad the injuries were. However, had we been healthy, it looked as though Wally Szczerbiak was on his way to get this one.

Cliffy has clearly made a giant impact on Al Jefferson this year, and you can see the quick progression with Leon Powe as well. Ray came over from Orlando, where he worked with Dwight Howard. He has come to Boston and he has done everything the media was talking about when he signed his contract. He has helped Al’s mental game, offensive game, and his defensive game a lot. Perk, Al, and Powe have praised Cliffy numerous times in interviews. He clearly has made a big impact on our bigs and he has helped them improve their games at a quick pace. They respect him, he can relate to them (since he was a big man in the NBA), and he makes them work. Way to go, Cliff!

Last year, absolutely everybody booed and yelled cusses every time he entered the game (including me, I admit it). This year, after he lost some weight and improved his jumper a ton, he has played his role very nicely. He has come up huge for us on the defensive end on a number of occasions, he has brought the hustle everybody was talking about when he first got here, he has knocked down the open 3 very nicely (he improved a ton in that area), and he never hurts us when he’s on the floor anymore. I have truthfully grown to really like Scal, his personality, and what he brings to the team whether he plays 25 minutes or 10 minutes.

Though I have defended him in the past and I am still sticking by him as a solid backup point guard in the future, he has been a big disappointment for this team. He’s a horrible defender, he doesn’t have a great jumper, and he is not aggressive offensively 90% of the time he’s put out on the floor. I don’t get it. If Bassy’s confidence isn’t at all all-time high, he just doesn’t even bother trying to attack offensively. That is a big problem. He has the tools to be a good player in this league, I don’t understand why he isn’t attacking. He’s very quick, he is a good playmaker, he’s a good ballhandler who doesn’t turn it over a whole lot, and he can get to the rack with his quickness. Even in the first 2 months of the season, he was knocking down that pull-up 15-17 foot jumper at a very high rate, now he’s ice cold from there. He’s only 21, and I still have faith he won’t be overseas in 2 years, but if he doesn’t correct this aggression issue, he will be overseas. He also has to get his act together mentally. Driving with a suspended license at 4 am, going 77 mph in a 45 mph zone, and driving with a convicted felon who had a gun on him isn’t really the best way to get yourself on track. Management has reportedly already clarified that Telfair will not be playing in Boston, but I do wish him luck wherever he ends up.

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