NFL Regular Season Awards (Candidates)

MVP-
Nominees:
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Peyton Manning

Comeback Player of the Year:
Nominees:
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Peyton Manning

Offensive Player of the Year:
Nominees:
1. Adrian Peterson
2. Peyton Manning

Defensive Player of the Year:
Nominees:
1. J.J. Watt
2. Aldon Smith
3. Von Miller

Offensive Rookie of the Year
1. Robert Griffin III
2. Andrew Luck
3. Russell Wilson

As a rather bizarre 2012 NFL Season comes to a close, two of the biggest names have been players who have returned to have amazing seasons, following devastating injuries. Those names are none other than, Peyton Manning, and Adrian Peterson. Both men are head and shoulder candidates for both MVP, and Comeback Player of the Year.














Case for Peyton Manning:
Peyton Manning missed the ENTIRE 2011 season, because of a major, career-threatening neck surgery. There was very heavy doubt, that he would ever play again, because of how crucial his injury was. If his neck was not properly repaired, then his passing ability would have been greatly hindered. However, Manning has silenced his critics (Including myself). From the start of the season, Peyton Manning came out blazing, without missing a beat. In Week 1, Manning picked the Steelers defense apart in a Win on Sunday Night Football. Manning's season has been filled with a handful of comebacks. This season, Manning became the NFL's All-Time Leader in Comebacks. The difference between his comebacks, and Tim Tebow's is that he does much more to impact the team during that stretch. It also helps to have a great defense on the other side of the ball, to disrupt the other team. The Denver Broncos have received a great transformation, and rejuvenation after being the publicity circus of the NFL (Tebowmania). Now, Denver is a very serious contender, because they replaced an overhyped scrub (Tebow), with a bonafide legend (Peyton Manning). Manning is still up to his usual numbers, (Completing 347-511 Passes, 4,016 yards, 31 TDs, 10 INTs, 7.9 YPA, Comp. Pct: 67.9%, QB Rating: 103.5) while leading the Broncos to an 11-3 record, with a projected 2nd seed in the AFC. Now, the Defense doesn't have to carry as much of a load, with a 1st Ballot Hall of Famer, and Top 3 QB of all-time on their team. If Manning wins the MVP, he will be the 1st QB in NFL History to win 5 MVP Award. What a difference a year makes, both for Peyton and the Broncos.

Case for Adrian Peterson:
Adrian Peterson has made a remarkable comeback this season, after having a sub-par year in 2011. Peterson is making a tremendous comeback, with his best season since 2008. However, it has been rather tough for people to fully appreciate Peterson's work, because of how his team has under performed. To add further insult, Peterson has also had nagging injuries during his career, which have caused others to question his durability. The attention was also diverted from him, when big names such as Brett Favre, and Randy Moss came for a temporary run. However, he has always been the most consistent piece. I have always been a huge AP supporter, like I am with Peyton. However, it was tough for me to initially defend him, because of how bad his team had played. This season, AP has had an incredible resurgence. (289 Carries, 1,812 yards-Career high, 6.3 YPC, 11 TDs) The highlights of Peterson's season include the following (A 210-yard game in a loss vs. Green Bay, and a 212-yard game in a win vs. The St. Louis Rams). This has further validated my case, as to why he is the best running back of this era. Adrian Peterson has also been featured on the cover of this year's "Sports Illustrated". AP is on pace to break Eric Dickerson's Single-Season Rushing Record (2,105-1984). He is only 300 yards away from the record, which means he would have to average 150 yards per game in the last two games. This upcoming game against the Texans will be extremely crucial, because of how strong the D has been playing. If Peterson breaks the record, there is no question that he should walk away with the NFL MVP Award. With his play, the Vikings have a strong grip on a Wild Card spot.



Defensive Player of the Year:














Case for J.J. Watt:
J.J. Watt has been the building block of the Houston Texans' Defense this season. Watt is the first player since 1982 to have 15 or more sacks, and 15 or more passes deflected in a single season (Sacks were officially recognized in 1982). J.J. Watt has been a pass blocking machine. The Texans currently ranked 7th in the NFL in Defense, while allowing 325.9 ypg, causing 22 Fumbles, and recovering 13 of them. Watt leads his team in tackles (74). He also leads both his team, and the league in sacks (20.5-1st). With Watt, the Texans finally broke through with a playoff appearance last season. This year, Houston has clinched the AFC South division, and is projected to have the 1st seed, with a 1st Round Bye. Watt recorded a career-high 10 tackles in the Week 15 win vs. The Colts. He also had two games with 3 Deflected Passes (Week 1 vs. Dolphins, Week 5 vs. Jets). If Watt breaks Michael Strahan's Single Season Sack Record (23.5-2001), along with being the sole leader in Sacks, he deserves the DPOY.

Case for Aldon Smith:
Aldon Smith has been the focal point of the Niners' Defense this season, which is tremendous. Smith's incredibly long reach has helped him record 19.5 sacks (2nd in NFL). He also has 64 tackles, and 3 forced fumbles. Smith's presence in San Fran's LB Corps, with Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman, is what has launched the team to the number 2 Defense in the NFL (allowing only 296.5 ypg, causing 20 fumbles, and recovering 10).  Smith has 33.5 sacks in his first two seasons, the most of any player in NFL history. Aldon is an absolute terrorizer, when it comes to pressure from the outside. Smith recorded a season-high 5 sacks, in the Week 11 win vs. The Bears. The Niners have clinched the NFC West Division, and are projected as the 3rd seed in the playoffs, in large part to Smith's contributions as their most dominant pass rusher. As I have said with Watt, if Smith breaks Strahan's sack record, he could win the DPOY Award.



Case for Von Miller:

Von Miller has been the heartbeat of the Denver Broncos Defense. Miller's 17.5 sacks has engineered the Broncos to the number 3 defense in the league (allowing 302.2 ypg, forcing 23 fumbles, and recovering 8). Miller's speed to shed tight ends, and blockers has helped him become a major threat to the quarterback. Even though Miller is 3rd in Sacks, his impact for a defensive monster has got to be taken into very strong account. The Broncos Defensive Corps has vaunted Denver to become one of the top 2 seeds in the AFC. Just like Houston, Denver's pass rush has a great deal to contribute to that. Miller's ability to disrupt the ball carrier has been tremendous, as he has recorded 6 forced fumbles (1st for his team). Miller is also 3rd on his team in tackles (65). Von Miller is certainly the dark horse of this race for NFL DPOY.

Additional Note: Smith, Watt, and Miller all came into the league in 2011. Each player is having an incredible breakout sophomore season. All three are head and shoulders above the rest in Defense. Their monstrous pass-rushing abilities have set them ahead of the rest of the pack.


Offensive Rookie of the Year:

Case for Robert Griffin III:
Robert Griffin III has been the main rejuvenating force for the Washington Redskins becoming contenders agian. RG III's spectacular play has made him one of the most transcendent level rookies the league has ever seen. I am not saying that for sensationalism, but his play speaks for itself. Griffin's play has raised the level of his team around him. His amazing blend of passing ability, amazing speed, and pure athleticism, have made him a major threat for opposing teams all season. I may not be a fan of his team, but he is the one player from that franchise that I have the greatest deal of respect. This season, RG III has completed 249 out of 375 passes, 3,100 yards, 20 TD's, and 5 INT's, with a QB Rating of 104.1. Griffin's mobility has also enabled him to rush for 752 yards. As the quintessential leader of the Redskins, Griffin has put them in the best position to grab the NFC East division. The sky is the limit for RG III.

Case for Andrew Luck:
Andrew Luck was drafted 1st overall by the Colts, with the weight of replacing a legend in Peyton Manning. So far, Luck has adapted very well to the pros. Within the course of a year, the Colts have gone from being the doormat of the NFL, to being back in contention. Indy is currently 2nd in their division, thanks to the strong play of Andrew Luck. Luck has been phenomenal as the Colts catalyst, engineering incredible comebacks through the course of the season (Traditional Colts football). Andrew Luck has completed 325 out of 599 passes, leads all rookies with 4,183 yards, and 21 touchdowns, with a QB Rating of 75.6. Luck's 18 interceptions have given a hit to his rating, but he is making a strong adjustment (Peyton Manning threw 28 INT's his rookie year). The Colts are now a projected 5th seed in the AFC. This is a great sign of things to come, for both Andrew Luck, and the Colts.

Case for Russell Wilson:
Russell Wilson has been the dark horse/sleeper for the NFL Offensive ROY Award. Wilson's leadership has made the Seahawks a surprise playoff contender. Coming off of an offseason where Matt Flynn was signed for an insane amount of money, Russell Wilson has made him an afterthought. In spite of the controversial game against the Packers, Wilson has been amazing. For someone under 6'0" (5'11"), Wilson has excelled, and gone beyond everyone's expectations of him. Russell has totally flown underneath the radar, especially with this surge heading into the playoffs. Wilson has completed 237 out of 374 passes, 2,868 yards, 25 touchdowns, 10 interceptions, and a QB Rating 98.0.

Kobe Bryant's "30,000"

First of all, I want to say congratulations to Kobe Bryant for reaching such a historic milestone. This is an amazing achievement. Reaching this takes a lot of hard work in dedication. Kobe has left great memories and a very lasting impression upon us basketball fans during his illustrious 17-year career. However, something needs to be seriously addressed, and put into proper perspective. There are people out there in the media, and hardcore Kobe fans who will put their own twisted spin on this milestone. They will say that "Kobe is the fastest to reach 30,000 points" or "Kobe is outpacing MJ". Yes, they say some outrageous things. Here is the thing. He truly is the youngest in terms of age, but in terms of career, it has actually taken him longer. What  makes things even more lopsided, is that he came straight out of high school. The others ahead of him (Kareem, Karl Malone, Jordan, Wilt), all came out of college after 3-4 years. Yet, they reached 30,000 career points in a shorter span of time in their careers than Kobe. Allow me to put things in perspective:

-Wilt Chamberlain (30,000 points- 941 games)
-Michael Jordan (30,000 points- 960 games)
-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (30,000 points- 1,101 games)
-Karl Malone (30,000 points- 1,152 games)
-Kobe Bryant (30,000 points- 1,180 games)

As you can clearly see, Kobe has played many more games than those ahead of him to reach this point. However, he has made less shots to reach that total. Kobe has played 108 more games than Jordan, and 135 more games than Wilt, but he STILL trails them in career points. This all leads to one thing. Kobe Bryant is the greatest "VOLUME scorer" of all-time. This means, that out of the top 5 scoring leaders, Kobe has shot the lowest field goal percentage. He has NEVER had 1 season in his career shooting 50% from the field. This title of "volume scorer" can work both ways. Yes, he has compiled more points than others such as John Havlicek, Dominique Wilkins, etc, who have similar percentages. However, when comparing him to more prolific & accurate scorers such as Michael, Wilt, Kareem and Karl Malone, it is not exactly a badge of honor. Now, I am not taking anything away from him as an all-time great. (One of the top 15 of all-time) I am just simply giving more perspective. Unfortunately, that delusional network Disn-ESPN, and the Kobetards will reach to no end for any possible comparison to MJ. I have news for you out there: Kobe does not compare! I definitely have more respect for NBATV, for showing how many more games Kobe played to achieve this. The fact that it took the previous players less games to reach this many points, is very alarming! This goes to show how he has been much more inconsistent than his predecessors in the 30,000 point club. Another thing that I would like to point out is, the fact that Kobe only has 1 League MVP Award. The previous four players have won multiple MVP's!

Here are the accomplishments of each player, when they achieved 30,000 points:

-When Wilt Chamberlain scored 30,000 points, he won 4 MVP's, and 7 Scoring Titles.
-When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scored 30,000 points, he won 6 MVP's, 2 Scoring Titles, and 1 Finals MVP. -When Michael Air Jordan scored 30,000 points, he won 5 MVP's, 10 Scoring Titles, and 6 Finals MVP's. -When Karl Malone scored 30,000 points, he won 2 MVP's. (K. Malone's Jazz ran into Jordan's Bulls twice in the Finals. If Jordan was not in that era, he would have had multiple scoring titles.)

Total points do not tell the entire story. Those ahead of him, clearly have a larger body of work, along with their points.

Here are the top 5 scorers, and their career field goal percentages:

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points, 56% FG shooting- 1,560 games)
2. Karl Malone (36,928 points, 51% FG shooting- 1,476 games)
3. Michael Jordan (32,292 points, 50% (51% as a Bull) FG shooting- 1,072 games)
4. Wilt Chamberlain (31,419 points, 54% FG shooting- 1,045 games)
5. Kobe Bryant (30,016 points, 45% FG shooting- 1,180 games)

This goes to further prove my point, of how Kobe Bryant has been less efficient, and a more inconsistent scorer than those above. Kareem and The Mailman have played slightly longer than Kobe, but shot higher percentages. He still has over 6,000 less points than both of them. By the time his career is over, Kobe will have the most missed shots in NBA history. Right now, he is on a rapid pace. Yes, he will eventually pass Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain in career total points. However, that will only happen because of pure volume, with longevity at a less efficient and less accurate rate. There is no way that anyone can claim that Kobe is the greatest scorer of all-time, except when it pertains to inefficiency.

Kareem missed 9,755 shots to score 30,000 points
Karl Malone missed 9,996 shots to score 30,000 points
Wilt missed 10,965 shots to score 30,000 points
Jordan missed 11,140 shots to score 30,000 points
Kobe missed 12,599 shots to score 30,000 points

The difference in accuracy is larger than a country mile. Kobe is certainly the most accomplished player of this time, outside of Tim Duncan. Yet, when you look at the entire picture, you will see that Kobe has glaring blemishes compared to the cream of the crop. He is an all-time great, but not on the level of Legends & Icons such as Michael Jordan, Kareem, Wilt, Magic to name a few. Bottom line is, Kobe is an all-time great, but not the greatest of all-time in the most valuable achievements.

NBA 50 Greatest Players: Overview

Ladies and Gentleman, I would like to thank you for taking the time out to observe my list of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history. This is a project that I am very proud of, and very passionate about. As you can see, I put my time, effort, research and very hard work into this. However, this is not a very easy project at all. In fact, it is very unenviable. You can create a whirlwind of debates with a topic like this. There are two different teams in this topic. One team is about the rings. The other team is about the stats. When you set a criteria that puts things in perspective, this will help both sides find common ground. If you only focus on rings, then Sam Jones, John Havlicek, and Robert Horry should all be ahead of Michael Jordan for that matter. Rings are great, but we need to look at them for what they are, team accomplishments. However, if you go off of stats alone, then Karl Malone should be ahead of Wilt Chamberlain and Tim Duncan because he has more career points. Dominique Wilkins should be ahead of Larry Bird, and Elvin Hayes should be ahead of Hakeem Olajuwon. However, when you weigh accolades and impact, total points should not be the final measuring stick for greatness. To put things in perspective, someone needs to be an outstanding individual player, while contributing to a championship team. Being a leader of a championship team, along with amazing achievements is what strengthens a player's legacy. If someone is a great player, but is overshadowed by a megastar in their time, their legacy takes a hit, even if they get 1 or 2 championships at best. If someone was considered the defining player of their era, that is another bonus. This is why the list is called the "50 Greatest". Everything is taken into account. This is not solely based off of pure skill level, and nothing else. Visually, "Player A" may look better than "Player B". However, when you look at their numbers on a night to night basis, there could be a different story. I am a very strong student of the rich history of the game of basketball. It is my personal favorite, by the way. Basketball has created hundreds, and thousands of awesome players throughout the years, and those players have inspired the generations after them to go higher. In order to make the Top 50, players must meet the following criteria (In no particular order):

-Individual dominance
-Achievements
-Team accomplishments (in perspective)
-Impact on the game
-Greatness in Era
-Longevity

Sit back, relax and enjoy.