Throughout the coming days, I will take a look at the upcoming 2010-2011 NBA season. Among the topics being covered include individual awards such as rookie of the year, sixth man of the year, defensive player of the year, most improved player, and most valuable player. Following these awards, I will try my hand at some teams that are poised to surprise some people as well as predict the eight playoff spots for each conference. Finally, I will assess the conference champions and delve into the NBA champion, which seems to be a two team race for the crown at this point, or so everyone says.

Up first is the always unpredictable rookie of the year. Blake Griffin, DeMarcus Cousins, John Wall, Wesley Johnson, Derrick Favors, Evan Turner… One could go insane trying to predict who will actually win it. A lot of experts like Griffin, who was last year’s number one pick, but he has to stay healthy first. He doesn’t have the easiest competition either. John Wall is the sexy pick, but I think Evan Turner is an excellent pro prospect. It will be interesting to see how he will play alongside near replica Andre Iguodala in Philly. There is always the wild cards in Cousins, Johnson, and Favors to consider as well.

I want to say Evan Turner will win the ROY, but the team he was drafted by is preventing me from doing so. Unless new coach Doug Collins plays Turner and Iguodala at the same time, it will be tough for both players to get 40+ minutes. I am going to go with Blake Griffin. He will do all he can to revive the Clippers. He’s such a physical specimen. He is poised to play well after sitting out all of last year. Let’s just hope he can stay healthy or we will be seeing a Greg Oden-esque career.

Stay tuned for my pick for the defensive player of the year.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

Tyreke Evans speaks so softly, sometimes you’re tempted to hand him a megaphone. He ran his 20-5-5 campaign from the basketball court, left the door-to-door lobbying to his friends and his relatives and his bosses. So while he would never say it, we will.

This is your Rookie of the Year.

This is the guy.

While the competition tightened in the closing weeks – Stephen Curry leading the Warriors’ mini-surge and Brandon Jennings directing the Bucks’ postseason venture – Evans distinguished himself with a season-long body of work that delivered bruises to the record books as well as to opponents.

The No. 4 overall draft pick a year ago, he averaged 20.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.8 assists, becoming the fourth player to reach the 20-5-5 mark in a rookie season. And as Kings coach Paul Westphal noted after Monday’s home finale: “I don’t think we need the numbers to validate what a great season Tyreke has had. He’s been the most consistent rookie I’ve ever been around.”

Click here to read the full article – By Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee

The revamped Sacramento Kings won only 11 home games a year ago in posting the worst record in the NBA.

Win No. 11 this year at home was a special one, 106-101 over the struggling Denver Nuggets on Monday night. It comes after the youthful Kings lost back-to-back games in overtime at home to Cleveland and the Lakers.

Andres Nocioni made four 3-pointers and scored a season-high 21 points for Sacramento.

With standout rookie Tyreke Evans nursing a sore ankle in street clothes, the Kings produced another strong effort against an elite team, defeating the Northwest Division-leading Nuggets and improving to 11-5 at home.

“This team has a lot of personality and plays with confidence and energy,” Nocioni said. “We lost two tough games to Cleveland and the Lakers, but we still came here ready to play tonight.”

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com