Tis that season again! It's time to stare deeply into my crystal ball and wrongly predict another NBA campaign. Well, maybe I will get one or two right somewhere along the way. Let's begin, shall we?

Rookie Of The Year: Yi Jianlian

I would have never guessed that I would go in this direction but after looking at his preseason numbers, the fact that he will start and that he is 32 years old, I think this has become a pretty safe bet. Durant is the sexy pick here but Yi has a lot more experience and this will be extremely valuable against the crafty and stronger NBA vets.

Most Improved Player: Andrew Bynum

Who will win the award for having better stats due to actually getting playing time this year? I think Bynum is that guy. He came into the league at a SUPER young age and has shown flashes of brilliance along the way. Now, with some real playing time, he should start to put up great numbers along the line of Andris Biedrins last year. Someone like Ronnie Brewer may step up as well but my money is on Bynum for now.

Defensive Player of the Year: Bruce Bowen

Year after year I keep predicting the sexy candidate but Bowen is always a safe bet to finish in the top three. As long as the NBA keeps letting the guy use every old school tactic in the book, he will be a tough defender. He's the old man at the park that holds, grabs and gets in your head and before you know it, completely shuts you down. I tip my cap to the guy for being able to do this for so many years and chances are, his name will be called at the end of this year for the first time. Can you believe the guy has never won the award??

6th Man of the Year: Leandro Barbosa

Historically speaking, the 6th Man award changes hands almost every year. But, Leandro is a perfect bench player ala Bobby Jackson or Vinnie Johnson. He comes into the game hot and can just dominate offensively. Coach Mike loves this guy and he will get every opportunity to win this award again.

MVP:KG

I think this year will be the celebration of KG. The guy has been dominating the league for years on teams that had less than stellar talent. Now, in a lesser conference and with real talent alongside him, he will shine. The wins will come and on a national level, people will see his amazing all around game. I've always been a big fan of his effort and game and his reward will come this year in the form of an MVP trophy.


Coach Of The Year: Rick Adelman

The Rockets are the sexy pick this year which makes me not want to do this but I can just see the team playing well under a more open offense that Adelman will implement. He's been through the wars with the Blazers and the Kings and there is no reason to think that a team with Yao, Tmac and other solid player like Wells and Scola can't provide great success as well.

Finals: Spurs and Celtics

Every year I try to predict this and every year as of late, I pick the Suns to get here. This year, I am going against conventional wisdom with the hope that things go in the opposite direction. That being said, this Finals match up just makes sense. The Spurs just continue to get it done and the only thing that can stop them is themselves and maybe the Mavs if they get lucky. As for the Celtics, I don't see much competition beyond the young Bulls. It would be a thing of beauty to watch KG get to the Finals and just play his heart out every night. In the end though, no three players are better than the entire sum of a quality team. Spurs in 6 and it will be hard to see the pain in true champions like KG, Pierce and Allen's eyes when it all comes to an end.