With the NBA?s second season underway, it?s time for the regular season awards.  Reminder ? regular season awards.  Last year?s playoff heroics, and what guys might do in this postseason aren?t part of the equation.

Most Valuable Player

The Candidates:  Tim Duncan, Tracy McGrady, Ben Wallace, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant

Numbers are important ? the MVP needs good stats ? but they aren?t everything.  Removing players from teams doesn?t help since all these units would stink but for these players on the floor.  Duncan, McGrady, and Garnett each carried their teams without superstar assistance.  Each team had regular season success.  McGrady gets extra credit for playing with such a substandard roster for much of the season.

Bryant had a brilliant season, and the Lakers were more his team than Shaquille O?Neal?s this season.  But, the other guy is Shaq.  O?Neal was limited by injury this season, but they?re a dynamic duo, and it?s impossible to say who gets the most credit.  It?s arguable either way, which hurts both player?s claim for MVP.

Wallace is an atypical MVP candidate.  He?s often an offensive liability, but no player is more important to his team?s success.  The Pistons can?t survive without his rebounding, and their stifling defensive system is built around Wallace?s shot blocking and intimidation.  This isn?t the Defensive Player of the Year award, however.

Garnett this season became a do-everything superstar who plays both ends better than anyone since Jordan.  Here?s the scary part ? Garnett doesn?t turn 27 for another month.  He had a personal best season in points, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage.  And he might get even better.

Pick:  Kevin Garnett

Coach of the Year

The Candidates:  Eric Musselman, Golden State; Rick Carlisle, Detroit; Gregg Popovich, San Antonio; Rick Adelman, Sacramento

Musselman was a first-rate first year coach who convinced the Warriors to play defense, and got superior play from Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas.  He found a role for Earl Boykins, the only player in the league Musselman can look in the eye.  But, I?m not thrilled with giving an award to a guy primarily because his team wasn?t as bad as many thought it would be.

Popovich, Carlisle and Adelman each helm elite teams.  San Antonio and Sacramento hold realistic title aspirations, while the Pistons, despite having no superstars, were the best team in the East.  Adelman did a good job keeping the Kings on track despite injuries, and Popovich established roles early and figured out how guys could effectively play off Duncan.

Still, there?s something about Detroit.  Carlisle?s defensive system worked well this season, even when manned by traditional sieves like Richard Hamilton and Jon Barry.  Every Piston has a role to play and a job to do, and no team was better prepared for each game.

Pick: Rick Carlisle

Defensive Player of the Year

The Candidates:  Ben Wallace, Ron Artest, Bruce Bowen

Artest or Bowen would get the award most years.  Artest psychotically defends every possession as if there were 15 seconds remaining in the seventh game of the NBA Finals.  Bowen doesn?t get steals or block shots, but is the best lock-down man defender in many years.  He has raised ball denial and correct defensive positioning to an art form.

But Wallace?s defense and rebounding nearly made him the league?s most valuable player.  Put it this way: San Antonio and Indiana would still be good teams if Bowen or Artest were replaced with average defenders.  The Pistons would be nowhere if the same happened with Wallace.

Pick: Ben Wallace

Rookie of the Year

The Candidates: Yao Ming, Caron Butler, Amare Stoudemire, Carlos Boozer

Butler had a terrific season, playing more minutes than any other rookie and bearing significant responsibility.  Boozer played outstanding basketball when given the minutes, but spent too much of the season inexplicably mired on the bench.  Either player would be a serious contender for the award most seasons ? but not this year.

Yao and Stoudemire separated themselves from the class early.  Stoudemire with rugged athleticism and effort, Yao with star presence and fundamental play.  Yao tired toward the end while Stoudemire seemed to improve ? perhaps in part because of his lunch bucket work ethic.

Pick: Amare Stoudemire

Sixth Man of the Year

The Candidates: Earl Boykins, Andrei Kirilenko, Bobby Jackson

While some want to eliminate Jackson from consideration for his stint as a starter while Mike Bibby healed, Jackson started just 26 of the 59 games he played.  His full-bore playing style was the perfect complement to Bibby?s control and precision.

Boykins may be just 5-foot-5, and he may have played for a team that didn?t make the playoffs, but he was invaluable to the Warriors this season.  Golden State used him as a closer ? he and teammate Gilbert Arenas were the backcourt pairing down the stretch in many games.  Boykins, always the smallest man on the court, made big shots and key plays all season long.

Kirilenko came off the bench to be Utah?s third-leading scorer and to be one of the game?s best defenders.  He?s so versatile that Jazz coach Jerry Sloan would often use Kirilenko to stop the opposition?s hottest scorer ? regardless of the other player?s position.  If he played more minutes, which he will be next season, he?d be a contender for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

Pick:  Andrei Kirilenko

Most Improved Player

The Candidates:  Troy Murphy, Matt Harpring, Stephon Marbury

How the heck is Marbury on this list?  Well, his scoring is up, his assists are level, his turnovers are slightly down.  In addition, his defense is the best it?s been since he entered the league and he?s figured out how to translate his considerable talent into wins.  Phoenix is in the playoffs because of his play and his leadership.

Murphy spent the summer in the weight room and took the Golden State power forward spot in training camp.  He finished this season ninth in rebounds and was one of only eight players to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds per game.

Harpring had a roller coaster year last season with the Sixers and was never able to do much right for Philly coach Larry Brown.  This season with Utah, Harpring was efficient (.511 field goal percentage) and effective (career high 17.6 points per game, up from 11.8 the previous season).  Here?s the thing ? Harpring played just 1.4 more minutes this season.

Pick: Matt Harpring

Kevin Broom is a Senior Writer with RealGM. He can be reached at kevinbroom@realgm.com.