Most Improved Player
I'm going with Bobby Simmons of the Clippers.

Simmons has become a legitimate NBA player on a team that seems to always be on the outside looking in as far as the playoffs are concerned.

It's not only maturity that has made him better, but also more of an opportunity to play.

Offensively he's averaging over 16 points per game -- more than double his career scoring average.

Defensively he shows great energy and is very physical.

Whether he is guarding the other team's small forward or big guard, Simmons will take on the challenge and he doesn't need double-team help.

Simmons is a tough defender, and he'll make his opponent work for everything he gets.

He's a no-nonsense guy whose statistics point to his improvement over a year ago.

The DePaul product is one of those guys you can put on an NBA court for anywhere from 36 to 45 minutes and you don't worry about him.

Simmons is going to do his job and do it well.

Defensive Player of the Year
Ben Wallace would normally be the easy choice, but I don't know if he's been as good defensively as he has in past seasons.

My pick is Larry Hughes of the Washington Wizards.

Hughes is leading the league in steals.

Often times that can be a misleading stat as some players gamble to get steals, neglecting their defensive assignment in the process.

But that's not the case with Hughes.

Coming into this season Hughes did not have a reputation of being an outstanding defender, but he's certainly done his part to change the way his game is looked upon.

I've seen Hughes enough this season to know he gets after opponents.

He puts pressure on the ball and has fabulous fundamentals.

I'm impressed by his stance, his movement, and the way he pesters the opponent he is matched against.

And once the man Hughes is guarding gives up the ball, he becomes all about team defense, getting into the passing lanes and doing a real nice job.

There a few key reasons why the Wizards have been able to turn things around this season, and the play of Larry Hughes is one of them.

Sixth Man of the Year
Ben Gordon of the Bulls gets my vote as he's played a major part in Chicago's success this season. 

Gordon also has a good shot to win Rookie of the Year.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder has confidence, and he's responded extremely well to coming off the bench, especially in fourth quarters.

At the start of the season, Gordon couldn't get a lot of minutes because Bulls coach Scott Skiles thought he wasn't tough enough defensively.

Other questions about Gordon centered on the shape he was in and whether he had the mental toughness to become a good defender in the NBA.

Those questions lit a fire under Gordon, and he has responded in superb fashion.

He is fitting right in with teammates Kirk Hinrich and Chris Duhon, both of whom are tough individual defenders.

Gordon isn't yet as good defensively as Hinrich and Duhon, but he's come a long way since the start of the season.

When Gordon comes into the game he becomes the man offensively for the Bulls.

Gordon's teammates look for his scoring and look to play off of him.

Gordon can get his own points and he's answered the Bulls glaring need for a player who can create his own shot.

He can get to a spot on the court very quickly, get a defender off balance or up in the air, and then shoot those short, in-between shots very well.

Gordon's ability to do this makes him a very valuable commodity in fourth quarters and also when the shot-clock is winding down.

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