NBA Insider with Ken Berger

Six years on the Jets beat and I was never asked to vote for anything other than appetizers, pizza toppings, and the Dunkin Munchkin assortment. In my first year back on the NBA beat, the league invited me to vote on every postseason award. Herewith, my selections, which no doubt will open me up to abuse from readers. Your comments are certainly welcome.

Votes were due by 3 p.m. today, and I wanted to be diligent about my procrastination and wait until the regular season was over before submitting my votes. Voters were asked to list a top 5 for MVP, top 3 for the rest, and three five-man All-NBA teams. Here we go:

MVP
1. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
2. Steve Nash, Phoenix
3. Tim Duncan, San Antonio
4. Kobe Bryant, Lakers
5. Tracy McGrady, Houston

Dirk was a no-brainer. Best player on the best team.

Rookie of the Year
1. Brandon Roy, Portland
2. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto
3. Rudy Gay, Memphis

Roy will be the runaway winner.

Coach of the Year
1. Avery Johnson, Dallas
2. Sam Mitchell, Toronto
3. Jerry Sloan, Utah

Got to see the Mavs in New York, New Jersey, and Philly and was blown away by Johnson's meticulous approach and insistence on excellence.

Defensive Player of the Year
1. Jermaine O'Neal, Indiana
2. Bruce Bowen, San Antonio
3. Shane Battier, Houston

I'm not buying the groundswell for Marcus Camby at all. O'Neal had the best year.

Sixth Man
1. Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix
2. Jerry Stackhouse, Dallas
3. Manu Ginobili, San Antonio

I stayed away from statistical impact and voted for Barbosa based on the spark he provides off the bench. David Lee got bumped by Ginobili based on his injury.

Most Improved
1. Monta Ellis, Golden State
2. Jose Calderon, Toronto
3. Kevin Martin, Sacramento

An excellent case could be made for Calderon or Martin, but I voted for Ellis first because of his contributions to a team that battled to the final day of the regular season to make the playoffs.

All-NBA

First Team
F Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
F Tracy McGrady, Houston
C Tim Duncan, San Antonio
G Steve Nash, Phoenix
G Kobe Bryant, Lakers

Second Team
F Chris Bosh, Toronto
F LeBron James, Cleveland
C Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix
G Dwyane Wade, Miami
G Gilbert Arenas, Washington

Third Team
F Kevin Garnett, MInnesota
F Carlos Boozer, Utah
C Yao Ming, Houston
G Ray Allen, Seattle
G Jason Kidd, New Jersey

Shaq is still the best center in the game, but the games he missed due to injury knocked him off my list. Kidd is still playing brilliantly, although I had some reservations about him due to his team's mediocre record.