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 1999 End-of-the-season awards
Posted: Tuesday May 11, 1999 11:57 AM
Here's a look at the awards ballot I sent into the league office a few days ago: MVP: Allen Iverson, Sixers. I know, I know, Karl Malone, Tim Duncan and Alonzo Mourning all led their teams to better records, but nobody lifted his club more than Iverson. As good a coach as Larry Brown is, without The Answer, the Sixers are the Denver Nuggets. Rookie of the Year: Vince Carter, Raptors. Any arguments? Coach of the Year: Mike Dunleavy, Blazers. Everybody says the Blazers have so much talent. What they really have is a lot of good players -- but no star -- who have never been big winners before this year. Dunleavy did a great job of molding them into a conference power. This was a crowded field, with Pat Riley, Chuck Daly, Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan and Paul Silas all deserving consideration. Defensive Player of the Year: Alonzo Mourning, Heat. Great shot-blocking that anchored the Heat defense, which had to be better than ever without two starters most of the year. Sixth Man: Darrell Armstrong, Orlando. He moved into the starting lineup near the end of the year, but until than he was exactly what a sixth man is supposed to be, an energizer on both ends of the floor. Most Improved: Armstrong, again. I didn't want to give two awards to one player, but then I thought, why not? Armstrong deserves it. He was a good player before, but he was the Magic's leading fourth-quarter scorer this season. You could make the case that he was Orlando's MVP this year. All-NBA First Team : Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Alonzo Mourning, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson. Second Team: Kevin Garnett, Shawn Kemp, Shaquille O'Neal, Gary Payton, Tim Hardaway. Third Team: Antonio McDyess, Chris Webber, Dikembe Mutombo, Stephon Marbury, Steve Smith.
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