As the All Star break nears, we can get excited to see the fan favorites take the court. Or in more accurate terms, we can watch the players from the largest markets play together in one game. Eight out of the ten starters are from only three cities: Los Angeles (Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard), Miami (LeBron James and Dwyane Wade), and Boston (Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo). Let's just say it is not bad that few people place much consideration of a players legacy on All Star appearances.



Here are our updated mid-season predictions on who will take home the hardware for individual accomplishments. (Note: statistics are as of 1/22/12.)





Coach of the Year





Mark Jackson, Golden State Warriors





very first coaching stint and all signs point to M-Jack being a great coach for years to come. The former ESPN analyst did not have the confidence of his players immediately. But after a complete offseason with the Warriors, it is readily apparent that he has tremendously influenced the culture of a team previously run by a me-first guard in Monta Ellis. Jackson has established accountability among the players while not patronizing them; he attributes this mentality to the problems he saw with coaches when he was a point guard in the NBA. While Mike Woodson and others have worthy resumes for the award this year, Jackson stands out among all of them, with wins against Miami and Oklahoma City to bolster his resume. Contrast the Warriors and teams where stars are plentiful and it’s obvious that what he has accomplished is very impressive. Combine that with the fact that this is hiscoaching stint and all signs point to M-Jack being a great coach for years to come.





Defensive Player of the Year





Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls





Noah has led his team on defense and provided stability with the absence of Derrick Rose. The Bulls have a top-five defense in the NBA and it centers (pun intended) around the big man’s 11 rebounds, two blocks, and (more than) a steal per game. A player like Noah may not be the greatest scorer—and he’s only shooting 45 percent from the field—but what he brings on defense is something that has helped the Bulls win 60 percent of their games thus far. And while Kevin Garnett is a consideration for this award, the fact that KG plays less than 30 minutes per game drops him at least a spot in the DPOY pecking order.





Most Improved Player of the Year





Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers





doubled (4.5 to 9.0) and his PPG has increased from 13.5 to 19.0…all while shooting over 45 percent from the field as a point guard. There are a host of players worth mentioning here but two in particular stand out: Jrue Holiday and Kemba Walker of the Charlotte Bobcats. Up until Kemba’s stellar play this season, you could only count on Michael Jordan’s Bobcats for one thing: a high NBA pick in the draft. But what the former North Carolina Tar Heel has done for a team that hasn't even won a quarter of its games this year is impressive, particularly in light of their perennial struggles. But the singular improvement of the 76ers point guard is remarkable. His defense has marginally improved (almost a rebound more per game than 2011-12) but what he brings to the court offensively now is pivotal to the Sixers success. His assists per game have(4.5 to 9.0) and his PPG has increased from 13.5 to 19.0…all while shooting over 45 percent from the field as a point guard.





Sixth Man of the Year





Jarrett Jack, Golden State Warriors





This offseason pick up has proven to be the best move for the Warriors thus far. While Andrew Bogut sits in a suit on the sideline, Jack is out draining dagger threes, finding teammates for game-winning shots, and providing an energy off the bench that has given his team a second wind. His per game stats are an indicator of the influence he has had (13 PPG / 6 APG / 3 RPG / 48% on FGs / 87% on FTs) but a look at some of the individual efforts he has had in games show that he is invaluable to this team. Case in point: in the last month of basketball he has had four games with over 10 assists and eight games with over 15 points—including two games with 28 and 29.





Rookie of the Year





Damian Lillard, Portland Trailblazers





To lead a team into Western conference relevance is impressive for any player…but for a rookie to do it is something special. While there is no doubt that the Trailblazers have pieces around Lillard (like MIP candidate J.J. Hickson), his team is significantly out-performing even Kyrie Irving’s Cleveland Cavaliers in Irving’s second year in the league. Another comparison would be to Wizards point guard John Wall, who came out of college with high expectations but could not turn around a terrible team and whose frustration has affected his performance. Lillard is well on his way to becoming one of the best scoring point guards in the NBA.





Most Valuable Player





LeBron James, Miami Heat



