Changing of the Season

As winter turns to spring, the season changes and the sun shines a little brighter and the days become a little warmer.

When we look back on this NBA season a month, a year, a decade from now, a few things will pop out at us. Who are the players responsible for changing this season?

The New Orleans Hornets amazing turnaround. The Houston Rockets 22-game winning streak. The resurgence of the Boston Celtics organization thanks to the “Big 3”.

The season has been shifted and shaped by so many different storylines. Here are a few of the players who have stood out at the forefront of the great NBA season.

Chris Paul:
He has blossomed before our eyes, becoming perhaps the premier point guard in the league.

What’s more, Paul has single-handedly led the turnaround of the Hornets franchise from bottom feeder to Western Conference elite. He simply makes everyone around him better.

Watching him play is special, and he should be at worst third in the MVP voting this year.

At over 21 points and 11 assists per game, he has the Hornets within grasp of the all-important number one seed in the tough West.

This year has become the year of Chris Paul, and after a special regular season, we can only hope he keeps it up well into the playoffs.

Shane Battier:
Don’t laugh. Yes, Battier only averages a measly nine points and five rebounds per game this year for the Houston Rockets. But his defensive game is one that speaks volumes.

Every night, Battier has to focus all of his attention to the other teams best player. That means guys Kobe, Ginobili, and Nowitzki in the stacked West.

You might say guys like Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston have been more important to the Rockets during their impressive run here in the second half, but you would be wrong.

Battier puts it all out on the line on D, and then leaves himself a little bit to knock down some big three pointers. Thirty-Eight percent from downtown is nothing to shake a stick at, especially after exerting so much guarding the elite players in the league.

If you want an unsung hero, Battier is your guy.

Pau Gasol:
After his trade from Memphis, everyone declared the Lakers the winners of the trade deadline, and crowned them champions before playing a postseason game.
His move to LA is critical to the shape and tone of the upcoming playoffs, as he has turned the Lakers an formidable championship contender.

People say Memphis was robbed, and it might be true, but the fact is, this trade shaped the NBA for the next few months.

The Lake Show is scary good, and Gasol has played without Andrew Bynum since he arrived on the West Coast.

When the three-headed monster of Bryant, Gasol and Bynum reassembles for the playoffs (if Bynum’s knee should allow), we could be looking at the cream of the crop in the Association.

Hedo Turkoglu:
You were expecting someone else?

Turk’s numbers go something like this: 20 ppg, 6 rpg, 5 apg.

Only two other players in the entire NBA go for 20,6,5. They would be LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

Just how important is Hedo to the success of the Orlando Magic? Besides opening up the middle for Dwight Howard with his 40 percent from three, he can penetrate and kick to Rashard Lewis, helping Lewis shoot his 40 percent from three and average over 18 points per game.

Rashard may make the max-dollars, but it’s evident that Hedo has been the leader of the Magic this season.

Rajon Rondo:
Sure, the Celtics have three perennial all-stars on their team in Allen, Garnett, and Pierce. But Rondo is the man that makes this machine move.

If Rajon Rondo hadn’t grown up in just one season, we may not be talking about the Celtics as having the leagues best record. He has been the floor general that the Celtics needed, dishing the ball to the right players and the right time, and more importantly keeping everyone happy.

Rondo is in the top 25 in assist to turnover ratio, better than counterparts Andre Miller, Rafer Alston, and Tony Parker.

If he can keep this stellar play up in the postseason, we may be looking at yet another banner for the Celts.