Third-quarter Award Watch: After MVP, races heat up down stretch

The third-quarter horn sounded on the NBA regular season over the weekend, and the truth is we know much less than we thought we would by this point.

We know who the best player is: LeBron James is well on his way to his second straight MVP award. Beyond that, several of the individual awards are still up for grabs.

Team-wise, Cleveland has the best record, but the presumed title favorite -- the Lakers -- is in the midst of a three-game losing streak. With only six games separating the top six teams -- Cleveland, L.A., Orlando, Dallas, Denver and Boston -- that pecking order could change, too, during the final quarter of the season.

LeBron James' dominance can be measured with the eyes or a stat sheet. (Getty Images)

So with about 20 games to go, here's where I think the major awards races stand:

MVP

1. LeBron James, Cleveland: Not only will LeBron be the King of free agency in a few months, but once again he's the undisputed titan of the regular season. His performance as it relates to who he's playing with and against is far and away the best in the league no matter how you measure it -- box-score metrics, adjusted plus/minus or the old-fashioned way of just using your eyes. He does it all, and given that he's counted on to do more than any other superstar in the league, he'll have to continue on that path if the Cavs are going to finally win their first title. (Note: The second-best potential 2010 free agent, Dwyane Wade, has been bumped out of my top five. Sorry, D-Wade, it's hard to get into the MVP discussion on a .500 team.)

2. Kobe Bryant, Lakers: Age and injuries have finally shown signs of creeping up on No. 24, but Bryant still stands as the most feared virtuoso at the end of games. He's not as dominant buzzer-to-buzzer as LeBron is -- partially because he doesn't have to be, partially because of wear and tear. To his credit, Kobe has adapted his game to compensate for the explosiveness he has lost, with his percentage of baskets in isolation declining from 33 percent in 2008-09 to 27 percent this season, according to Synergy Sports Technology. He has also added a new wrinkle to his arsenal, with his percentage of baskets on post-ups increasing from 14 percent last season to 24 percent.

3. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas: With the Lakers' slump, it's no longer a foregone conclusion that L.A. will finish with the best record in the West. Dallas is only three games back, and the addition of Brendan Haywood and Caron Butler has made the Mavs a legitimate threat. But the Mavs' success begins and ends with Nowitzki, who in some ways is having a better year than when he won MVP honors in 2006-07. According to Synergy, Nowitzki's per-game averages have improved this season over '06-'07 in all of the following categories: minutes, free throws, 2-point field goals, steals, turnovers and blocks. Rebounding is the only category in which he has slipped, and Dirk isn't in Dallas to rebound.

4. Carmelo Anthony, Denver: With all due respect to LeBron, Kobe and Wade, there is no more lethal or efficient scorer in the league than 'Melo. And like Nowitzki, Anthony is poised to capitalize on any systemic weakness the Lakers might be exhibiting as we head into the final quarter of the season. According to Synergy, Anthony still gets the majority of his baskets in isolation (33 percent) and post-ups (20 percent). His shooting percentage has risen in both areas over last season –- from 38 percent to 40 percent in isolation and from 40 percent to 48 percent on post-ups. 'Melo also has been a much-improved -- and smarter -- spot-up shooter this season. He's taking fewer spot-ups, but is making more of them. Being in the hunt for the scoring title (third behind James and Kevin Durant at 28.7 ppg) doesn't hurt his case, either.

5. Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City: Durant is clearly playing at an MVP level, and his offensive dominance and dramatic improvement on the defensive end have lifted the surprising Thunder into playoff contention. Durant has improved in every major statistical category this season except turnovers, and he's particularly hard to deal with as the pick-and-roll ball handler -- shooting 47 percent in those situations, according to Synergy.

Rookie of the Year

1. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento: Brandon Jennings said last week that Evans already has wrapped up the ROY, and I agree. Although the Kings have slumped since their respectable start, Evans remains the rookie who has had the biggest impact on his team. Jennings has been a revelation, and yes, he's steering a team that could wind up in the playoffs. But that argument doesn't hold much water to me; if Evans were on the Bucks, he would be in the playoff hunt, too.

2. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee: Jennings has been nothing we thought he would be -- and that's a good thing. His cockiness and lack of college pedigree haven't hurt his game at all. Yes, his numbers have leveled off since a sizzling start that included a memorable 55-point game, but nobody could've reasonably expected him to maintain that pace. Of the rookies logging at least 25 minutes a game, nobody has a higher assist percentage than Jennings, who records an assist on 24 percent of his possessions.

3. Stephen Curry, Golden State: Former NBA player Dell Curry's progeny has been a rare bright spot for the Warriors, and he has really come on lately. In February, he had his first career triple-double -- 36 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. The only rookies ever to put up numbers that good were, um, pretty good: Michael Jordan, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson, Elgin Baylor and Jason Kidd. Despite his rail-thin frame and his team's persistent dysfunction, Curry hasn't hit the rookie wall, either. After shooting .443 from the field from October-December, Curry is shooting .465 since Jan. 1.

Defensive Player of the Year

1. Dwight Howard, Orlando: Despite what Shaq says, there is no more intimidating force in the paint than Howard, who becomes a better and smarter defender every year.

2. Ron Artest, Lakers: Early on, Ron-Ron looked a step slow and a little out of sorts on the defensive end. He changed his diet, dropped 14 pounds, shook off a nasty bout of plantar fasciitis and is just now getting into lockdown mode. If he puts what Bryant calls his "straight jacket" on a few more elite scorers before it's over, Artest could overtake Howard and grab his first Defensive Player of the Year honor since the 2003-04 season.

3. James, Cleveland: MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season? Nobody's done that since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1993-94. LeBron will barely crack the top 10 in steals, and he only averages one block per game. But those steals and that block are typically memorable and often game-changing. LeBron has elevated the chase-down block to a new art form. If he ever gets a teammate who can score like he does, LeBron could then focus on becoming the best on-the-ball defender in the league -- something I don't put past him.

Sixth Man Award

1. Jamal Crawford, Atlanta: Crawford has been exactly what the Hawks needed -- a dependable, often explosive scorer off the bench. After nine years starting for miserable teams, Crawford embraced a reserve role on a team that will carry him to the playoffs for the first time in his career. His numbers have slipped a bit since the All-Star break -- he's shooting only .375 since then -- but his presence will make the Hawks a tough out in the playoffs.

2. Jason Terry, Dallas: Privately, Hawks brass urged Crawford to model himself after Terry, the 2008-09 Sixth Man of the Year. Crawford out-jetted the Jet, who has lost a step but not his influence on the Mavs' success. Dallas hopes he'll pick up where he left off when he returns from surgery to repair facial injuries after a collision with Minnesota's Corey Brewer.

The Grizzlies' Marc could become the best player in the Gasol family. (Getty Images)

3. Lamar Odom, Lakers: Odom's shooting and scoring have declined for three straight years, but a credible argument can be made that no one other than Bryant is as important to the Lakers' title hopes. L.A. has lost only once all season when Odom scored 20 points.

Most Improved Player

1. Marc Gasol, Memphis: Two years later, one of the most lopsided trades in recent NBA history doesn't seem so one-sided anymore. Some NBA execs believe Marc could wind up being better than Pau. Already, he's good enough to have his team in the playoff chase.

2. Aaron Brooks, Houston: With Yao Ming injured, Tracy McGrady exiled and Artest painting his hair purple and gold, the Rockets needed someone to step up, lead the team, and make up for all that lost offensive production. Brooks has more than carried the load, increasing his scoring average from 11.2 to 19.9.

3. Josh Smith, Atlanta: "J-Smoove," as they call him, still makes a bonehead play now and then. But the head-turning now far outweighs the head-scratching. Smith has dropped 3-point shooting cold turkey, going from 87 attempts last season to six in 2009-'10. Aside from taking his offensive exploits to the basket area where they belong, Smith has been a force on the boards and on the defensive end; he's third in the league with 2.1 blocks per game.

Coach of the Year

1. Scott Brooks, Oklahoma City: A healthy debate could be had over the order of my top three, but as of now I give the nod to Brooks because his team has done more than simply improve or overcome injuries. The Thunder (38-24) are solidly positioned for a postseason berth and will be one of those teams in the West that the top seeds want to avoid at all costs.

2. Lionel Hollins, Memphis: The season began inauspiciously for Hollins, who seemed destined to become just another coach thrown overboard by Allen Iverson. But Hollins won his battle of wills with the Answer and gained the respect of the locker room in the process. Now the Grizzlies are one of the most improved teams in the league.

3. Nate McMillan, Portland: No coach of a contending team in recent memory has dealt with as many injuries as McMillan, who was down to such a bare-bones roster that he ruptured his own Achilles' tendon filling in during practice. But McMillan's emphasis on defense and his strong-willed, no-panic demeanor have kept a postseason berth within reach.