What do Blake Griffin, the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Howard, Jason Terry, and Hedo Turkoglu all have in common? Why, they are all winners of my ridiculously early first-quarter NBA awards here at TSJ! The following teams and players have all been chosen for different reasons and while a few of these winners will cherish their selections others will want to toss all this fake hardware in their figurative dumpsters.
You can’t win them all, Eddy Curry!
Before beginning check out part one of the quarterly review HERE.
Alright then… let’s start the ceremony.
- Eastern Conference Team of the Quarter: The Boston Celtics
Sporting a gaudy 15-4 record, the league’s #2 rated defense and #8 rated offense, and featuring an incredibly balanced, championship-experienced roster, it seems that only potential injuries will derail the Celtics this season from heading into All-Star weekend without the East’s best record. I know that Orlando currently owns the exact same 15-4 mark but you’re not going to convince me quite yet that they would defeat the Celtics in a seven-game series. We’ll find out soon enough who will emerge victorious as these teams meet on Christmas Day. KG, Allen, Rondo, and Pierce vs. Howard, Nelson, and the always beloved Vince Carter. Should be fun!
Honorable Mention: Orlando Magic
- Western Conference Team of the Quarter: The Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki and his mates have defeated most elite challengers on their way to a 15-4 record. Don’t believe me? Try the Celtics, Spurs, Hornets, Thunder, Heat, and Jazz on for size. Their defensive rating is #4 in the NBA and their offense a healthy and improving 13th. Tyson Chandler is playing lights-out defensively for the Mavs, Jason Kidd keeps scolding father time, and Jason Terry leads a deep bench that includes former All-Star Shawn Marion. These guys are not going away, folks.
Honorable Mention: San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz
- Most Surprising Team of the Quarter: The New York Knicks
Go ahead - say you expected the Knicks to be 11-9 and on an eight-out-of-nine rampage as we hit the quarter mark. Go ahead and say you expected Raymond Felton to explode for averages of 18 points, eight assists, and two steals per night. Go ahead and say you expected Amare to average 24.6 points on decent percentages without Steve Nash by his side. I definitely didn’t say it.
Honorable Mention: Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets, Utah Jazz
- Worst Team of the Quarter: The Detroit Pistons
I thought I might end up putting the Raptors here but they’ve at least shown promise recently unlike Joe Dumars’ bunch. Detroit lost their first five games and haven’t stopped losing except when playing other doormats like the Kings, Clippers, and Wizards. Why do you belong here instead of Sacramento or Washington? Because at least those other teams seem to have some sort of plan in place for rebuilding. Signing Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon to expensive deals certainly isn’t helping matters and that Tracy McGrady guy is really easing the scoring load, huh? See you in twenty games.
Honorable Mention: Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards
- The “I’m Getting Paid HOW MUCH for This?” Player of the Quarter: Rashard Lewis, Magic
You’ll never be able to convince me that a guy deserves to make more guaranteed in one season ($19.6 Million) than his combined PPG, RPG, and APG (18.2). Step it up Rashard!
- Rookie of the Quarter: Blake Griffin, Clippers
This was the biggest no-brainer on the list. Griffin is averaging 20.6 points, 11.7 rebounds, and several jaw-dropping plays per night that make you sit back and wonder just how freakin’ great this guy could/should be in five years. Griffin has exploded for 30 ppg and 14 rpg during his last seven, including a ridiculous 44 point, 15 rebound outing versus New York. Simply an amazing talent.
Honorable Mention: John Wall, Wizards
- Sixth Man of the Quarter: Jason Terry, Mavericks
This guy just knows how to fill it up and make clutch plays. Terry averages 15.6 points, 4.8 dimes, and 1.7 steals off the bench for the surging Mavericks and while I know he has received this award before I can’t use that against him. Well done, my friend.
Honorable Mention: Wilson Chandler, Knicks (20 games with just five starts) and Jamal Crawford, Hawks
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- Most Improved Player of the Quarter: Russell Westbrook, Thunder
This guy was already an excellent point guard but so far this season Westbrook has vaulted into the elite-level category in the NBA. Some will argue that this award was designed for a different purpose but I simply can’t deny him. Westbrook has led the Thunder to several victories with Kevin Durant sidelined and currently averages 24.4 points, 8.5 assists, and 2.2 steals for Oklahoma City, with all those totals significantly above his career averages. If the Thunder play deep into the postseason this year Durant will not be alone, that’s for sure.
Honorable Mention: Eric Gordon, Clippers and Roy Hibbert, Pacers
- Disappointing Player of the Quarter: Hedo Turkoglu, Suns
You won’t fool me again, Hedo. There I went, thinking that a change of scenery and a place in the Suns’ vaunted long-bomb attack would help revive your career. Well, 9.8 points and 6.4 combined reb/ast later with a plethora of games featuring horrendous shooting and standing around on offense have convinced me you are worthy of this honor. Shame on me, I guess.
Honorable Mention: O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
**- The Biggest Waste of Salary Player of the Quarter: Eddy Curry, Knicks **
I’m thinking about naming this award in your honor, Eddy. You’ve played ten games in the last three seasons and will have brought home more than $30 million during that time, including an astounding $11.3 million this year. There’s not much more I can say. While Michael Redd makes significantly more than you this season his injury woes are more than just hamstring issues.
Honorable Mention: Michael Redd, Bucks
- The “Are You For Real?” Player of the Quarter: Kevin Love, Timberwolves
After last night’s 28 point, 19 rebound performance in the Wolves win over Cleveland Love is now averaging 19.4 points, an insane 15.3 boards, and shooting nearly .900 percent from the free-throw line! Who does that?! For those who thought his 31/31 game earlier this year was a fluke you might want to watch the tape. Love may be the best instinctive rebounder this league has seen since Dennis Rodman and is not going anywhere. You are for real, Mr. Love.
**- MVP of the Quarter: Dwight Howard, Magic **
I can’t say much more about Dwight than has already been said, but I’ll certainly try. Howard has led Orlando to a 15-4 record with averages of 21.4 points, 12.1 boards, 2.4 blocks, and countless possessions altered defensively by his presence alone. In a year where Jameer Nelson has shown flashes but remains somewhat inconsistent, Rashard Lewis decided to take forever before finding his shooting groove and rebounds as well as I do in my local men’s league, and where Vince Carter continues to alternate between fantastic and dreadful, Howard and his tweaked offensive game have kept this ship sailing at an elite level. Congrats, big man.
Honorable Mention: Deron Williams, Jazz and Derrick Rose, Bulls,
See you all on Monday for the Power Rankings.