NBA Academy Awards

In honor of the 88^th edition of the Academy awards, I have decided to give out Oscars for the best in the NBA. These individuals and organizations have excelled this season and have separated themselves from the competition. Here are the winners of the first annual NBA Academy Awards.
Best Picture: Golden State Warriors
Since the start of the season, the Warriors have been in complete control of the league. After Saturday’s win in Oklahoma City, the Warriors have an NBA best 53-5 record. They have been the most discussed team all year and are most see T.V. every time they play. The Warriors are without a doubt this year’s Best Picture.

Best Actor: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
Stephen Curry receives this year’s Best Actor award for a variety of reasons. He has been the best performer on the best team. The catalyst of the Warriors also leads the league in scoring at 30.7 PPG. Curry is nearly impossible to defend due to his ability to knock down shots from anywhere on the court. He is a fan favorite, with patrons showing up early to the game just to watch his warm-up routine. Stephen Curry is the hands down Best Actor.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
Westbrook could easily be nominated for Best Actor as well as Actor in a Supporting Role. He is critical to the success of the Thunder and is one of the most exciting players in the league. His speed and athleticism are off the charts and he plays with a ferocity that is displayed by few players in the NBA. Westbrook is having a career year with averages of 24.4 PPG, 10.2 APG, 7.5 RPG, and 2.2 SPG. He is shooting a career high 46% from the field and is 2^nd in the league in PER behind Stephen Curry.

Directing: Terry Stotts, Portland Trailblazers Head Coach
And the Oscar goes to…Terry Stotts of the Portland Trailblazers. Coach Stotts has done an incredible job with a young and unproven Trail Blazers team. After losing 4 starters from last year’s squad, Stotts has worked magic to turn the Trailblazers into a playoff team. With the exception of Damian Lillard, the Blazers roster is full of young guys that hadn’t received a lot of playing time prior to this season. Portland is currently tied with Dallas for the 6^th seed in the West, with a record of 31-28. A lot of their success has to do with the way Stotts has handled his young roster.

Cinematography: Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are dominating this season’s NBA Academy Awards. Arguably the most exciting team to watch in the history of the league, the award for cinematography is a no brainer. Their smooth ball movement and long range shooting is a thing of beauty. As you watch the Warriors in transition you will without a doubt agree that Golden State deserve the Oscar for best cinematography.

Foreign Language Film: San Antonio Spurs
The best Foreign Language Film goes to the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs are consistently loaded with players from around the world. Their scout team does an excellent job of bringing guys in from across the seas and integrating them into their system. Foreign language players on the Spurs roster include Manu Ginobili (Argentina), Tony Parker (France), Boris Diaw (France), and Boban Marjanovic (Serbia).

Writing (Original Screenplay): Masai Ujiri, Toronto Raptors GM
The Raptors have really improved their play from a year ago. A lot of this has to do with the small moves made in the off-season to solidify their bench. A year ago, Toronto had a bench unit that was mainly offensive minded. Players like Amir Johnson and Greivis Vasquez played key roles in the Raptors success. After letting them go over the summer, the Raptors chose to go with a more defensive minded approach. They brought in DeMarre Carroll, Cory Joseph, Bismack Biyombo, and Luis Scola to provide a stronger defensive and veteran presence. The moves have clearly benefited the team, as the Raptors have the 2^nd best record in the East at 39-18.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Kobe Bryant
There are plenty of players that deserve this award, but none more than Kobe Bryant. Kobe has been in the spotlight all season while going on his farewell tour. The fans of rival teams have embraced him and he has reciprocated the love for the fans that used to despise him. It has been a strange transformation for Kobe, but he has displayed a tremendous amount of growth this year, despite playing for one of the worst teams in the league. Kobe is a 5 time champion, 2 time finals MVP, 1 time league MVP, 18 time All-Star, 15 time All-NBA performer, and 12 time All-Defense performer. On top of these accomplishments he is a 2 time scoring champion, the winner of the 1997 Slam Dunk Contest, and more importantly the leading scorer in the history of the Lakers franchise. Kobe will go down as one of the greatest players of all time and one of the games fiercest competitors.

Grayson Gold-Garvey, Follow on Twitter @TheGraygo