With the NBA Playoffs in full swing, postseason awards are being given to the NBA’s top-performers throughout the season.
Here is what my ballot would look like if I were able to submit one.
MVP: Kevin Durant
LeBron James is the best basketball player on the planet, and I think the Heat will win the NBA title. 
But what Kevin Durant did this season was magical. The 25-year-old small forward scored 25 points or more in 41 straight games. That’s insane. But his improved passing and defense are what ultimately gives him the edge over James this season.
While in past seasons James has been a defensive force, the wear and tear on his body from making three straight NBA Finals was evident, with James clearly taking some games off and focusing less on defense. Having to carry more of the offensive burden with Dwyane Wade missing several games didn’t help either.
Durant improved on defense, using his length to deter shots on the outside and his quickness to stay in front of defenders. 
What Joakim Noah did for a depleted Bulls team, willing his team to victory night after night with his elite passing and defense, places a distant third place on my ballot. 
The improved defense coupled with the unstoppable offense makes Durant the MVP this season.
Defensive Player of the Year: Joakim Noah
Maybe this will be a good consolation prize for the excellent Noah. 
Noah has the unique ability to defend perimeter players almost as well as he can on the block. While most big men are put in an awkward situation when forced to switch on pick and rolls, Noah’s quickness and intensity turn him into a menace for opposing ball handlers.
That same quickness allows him to rotate quickly and effectively when the ball is being whipped around the court, and his intelligence and understanding of coach Tom Thibodeau’s system enable him to be in the correct position to shut down opposing offenses. 
Also, when watching players on defense, I imagine who would be the biggest pain in the butt to play against night after night, and Noah ranks at the top of that list. Whether it’s constantly jawing at opposing players or the way he constantly nudges and bumps on the low-block, playing against Noah does not look fun.
Coach of the Year: Jeff Hornacek
Similar to the James and Durant argument, Gregg Popovich is the best coach of the league, but Hornacek deserves this award. The Suns didn’t make the playoffs, but that’s because the NBA rewards being terrible in the East over being very good in the West. The Suns won the same amount or more games than five of the Eastern Conference playoffs teams. That’s a joke.
Hornacek took a team that everyone, including me, thought would be vying for a high draft pick at the end of the year and turned them into a run-and-gun juggernaut. He elevated Goran Dragic from good-but-not great point guard no one had ever heard of, to someone who could lay claim to one of the best point guards in the NBA. 
Gerald Green, the Morris twins, Marcus and Markieff, as well as Channing Frye all flourished in Hornacek’s system, and getting the most out of your players — whatever caliber player they are — is one of the most important ingredients in the makeup of a great coach.
Most Fun to Watch: Stephen Curry
In the NBA there are three kinds of players: guys who are offensive specialists, guys who are defensive specialists and guys who are good at both.
And then there’s Steph Curry.
No player in the league has the same shooting range and accuracy of Curry. He combines those traits with a sneaky good handle and elite quickness to form a player who’s capable of busting any defensive strategy. 
Curry shot 42 percent on 615 attempts and barely missed out on the 50-40-90 club (50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point territory and 90 percent free throw percentage). 
When Curry gets hot, he can win games by himself, and there’s nothing more fun than watching an NBA player taking a game by the throat and winning it by himself.