By Andrew Bohardt

There may still be games left in the NBA’s regular season, but it’s never too early to hand out some end-of-season hardware. We take a look at the most deserving candidates for the Most Valuable Player, Coach of the Year, Rookie of the Year and other postseason awards.

Most Valuable Player – Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
In just his third season in the league, Paul has taken the Hornets from a laughingstock to the top team in the brutal Western Conference. Paul is averaging 21.2 points and a league-leading 11.5 assists per game this season while leading New Orleans to a franchise-record 55 wins. He also tops the league with 2.7 steals per game. When it’s all said and done, Paul could be one of the top point guards in league history.

Also considered: Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant

Coach of the Year – Doc Rivers, Boston Celtics
Any decent coach would win his fair share of games with the Celtics roster, but Rivers earns the Coach of the Year Award because of the way his team manhandled the Eastern Conference. Boston is up seven games on Detroit in the East and is 21-7 since Garnett returned from injury. Rivers did an excellent job keeping egos in check and getting his players to work as a team.

Also considered: Byron Scott, New Orleans Hornets; Rick Adelman, Houston Rockets; Phil Jackson, LA Lakers

Rookie of the Year – Kevin Durant, Seattle SuperSonics
As expected, Durant ran away with this award. The rookie from Texas led the team with 20 points per game and played well all season for the woeful Sonics. With another summer under his belt and 20 more pounds of muscle, Durant should develop into a star next season. However, if the talent around Durant doesn’t improve, neither will the SuperSonics 18-61 record this year.

Also considered: Al Thornton, LA Clippers; Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks; Jeff Green, Seattle Supersonics

Most Improved Player – Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies
For the 21-57 Grizzlies, Gay has been a lone bright spot. Gay has doubled his scoring average from last year (10.8 points to 20.4 points) and has upped almost all of his other vital statistics. His marked increase in field goal percentage also shows he’s maturing and ready to be a leader—something the Grizzlies desperately need after Pau Gasol’s departure.

Also considered: LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers; Chris Kaman, LA Clippers; Ronnie Brewer, Utah Jazz

Sixth Man of the Year – Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs
Gregg Popovich has to be elated with the play of Ginobili this year. Any time you can bring your leading scorer off the bench, things have to be going well. Ginobili is averaging 19.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the defending world champions. Add in his stellar shooting percentages and solid defensive stats, and Ginobili should be a shoo-in for this award.

Also considered: Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix Suns; Ben Gordon, Chicago Bulls; Josh Childress, Atlanta Hawks

Defensive Player of the Year – Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets
Camby was again brilliant on the defensive end this season. The 12-year veteran tops the league in blocks (3.6 per game) and ranks second in rebounds (13.3 per game). These numbers increase in importance when considering Camby plays for the Nuggets, a team notorious for its horrendous defense. Without Camby, the Nuggets would have no shot at the playoffs.

Also considered: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic; Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets; Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks 

Best Midseason Trade – The Los Angeles Lakers acquiring Pau Gasol
The Lakers pulled off a major heist when they traded Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittenton to the Grizzlies for Pau Gasol. The trade has gone as expected; the Grizzlies have continued to tank, while the Lakers are 20-5 with Gasol in the lineup. The Lakers now sit second in the West and have a real chance to make the NBA Finals.

Also considered: The Suns acquiring Shaquille O’Neal; the Hawks acquiring Mike Bibby; the Mavericks acquiring Jason Kidd