Shake and/or Bake

Never far from the public eye, Lance Stephenson's recent defection to the Charlotte Hornets has left his Dad heartbroken and many wondering if he is really bad at counting. Regardless of whether you think he is crazy, a jerk, one of the best wings in the game or some combination of all three, it's hard to argue with his ball handling ability.

Lance perfected his slick handle in the gyms and on the outdoor courts of Brooklyn - home to more than a few who know how to put it on the floor (1, 2, 3) - and his playground style looked somewhat out of place in Indiana. Not only did Coach Vogel preach and practice a defense-first philosophy, Lance spent most of his time sharing the backcourt with the solid-but-unspectacular George Hill.

This season, in a glorious union we are excited to celebrate, he'll be paired with another NYC product and crossover merchant - Bronx-born Kemba Walker. To date, Kemba has spent his NBA career toiling in anonymity on largely unsuccessful Charlotte teams. Although he's still best remembered for leading UConn to the 2011 NCAA Title, all 139 people (including us) who have tuned into a Bobcats game in the last 3 years know he can still break down his man at will.

A backcourt of Lance and Kemba should produce plenty of highlights, and plenty of headaches for a) defenders trying to stay in front of them and b) coaches trying to gameplan for them. Chris Paul and Jamal Crawford may be the reigning NBA Tag Team Champions of Ballhandling but Lance and Kemba are coming for a title shot.

Baseline Leaner Award Tour: Day 1

(Image courtesy of idiots)

With only a few games left in the season, it's almost time for David Stern Dave Chappelle in white face Adam Silver to hand out the yearly trophies and we feel we should follow The Comissioner's lead. As well as the standard bundle - MVP, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year - we've decided to create a few of our own. Each day this week, we'll be making our picks. Starting with the hardware currently belonging to Paul George..

Most Improved Player

5. Terrence Jones

2012-13: 19 games - 14.5 mpg - 5.5 ppg - 3.4 rpg

2013-14: 74 games - 27.2 mpg - 11.9 ppg - 6.9 rpg 

Along with getting part of the Houston Texans logo shaved into his forehead, Terrence has had himself a memorable 2013-14 on the floor. After appearing in just 19 games last season, Terrence beat out other "stretch 4" candidates/perennial All-Stars/probable David Guetta fans Donatas Montejunas and Omri Casspi for the right to start alongside Dwight Howard.

A ferocious rim attacker with a reasonable outside shot, the former #8 ranked high school player in America and product of John Calipari's NBA factory spent this season proving why he was such a highly rated prospect.

4. DeAndre Jordan

2012-13: 8.8 ppg - 7.2 rpg - 1.4 bpg - .643 FG%

2013-14: 10.5 ppg - 13.7 rpg - 2.5 bpg - .675 FG%

It's come as no surprise to us that the only man capable of making Kendrick Perkins look competent has also gotten the most out of DeAndre Jordan. Formerly limited to dunking alleyoops, rebounding and blocking shots, DeAndre is now capable of dunking more alleyoops, getting more rebounds and blocking more shots.

While he hasn't exactly expanded his repertoire, DeAndre has certainly increased his output, leading the league in rebounding and field goal percentage.

3. Goran Dragic

2012-13: 14.7 ppg - 7.4 apg - .443 FG% - .319 3PFG%

2013-14: 20.4 ppg - 5.9 apg - .506 FG% - .415 3PFG%

We were disappointed to find that no one had photoshopped Goran's head onto the body of Smaug or one of Daenerys Targaryen's weird mutant kids*, because if anything deserves to be immortalized on the small or big screen, it's The Dragon's 2013-14 season. Combining the one-man fastbreak game of Tony Parker, craftiness of fellow left hander Manu Ginobili and outside shooting of former mentor Steve Nash, Dragic's game has become as effective as it is spectacular.

The Suns are this year's People's Champions a.k.a. Everyone's 2nd Favourite Team and he is the straw that stirs the drink.

* We're also too lazy to do it ourselves.

2. Lance Stephenson

2012-13: 8.8 ppg - 3.9 rpg - 2.9 apg

2013-14: 13.8 ppg - 7.2 rpg - 4.6 apg

If there is anyone better than Dragic at taking the ball the length of the floor and making a play, it may be Lance. In just 5 years, he has gone from prodigy - becoming the leading scorer in the history of New York city high school basketball - to flameout - struggling in college and subsequently being drafted 40th overall - to redemption story. This season has been his best as a pro, racking up 20 double-doubles and 5 triple-doubles and generally causing mayhem on a nightly basis.

Once considered lucky to even make the NBA, Stephenson is now a key piece for the potential Eastern Conference Champion Indiana Pacers. Additionally, should Indiana and Miami meet in the playoffs, he's at $3-to-$1 odds to chokeslam his nemesis Dwyane Wade (through the ABC announcer's table?) - which we're not condoning... but we're 100% condoning.

1. Gerald Green

2012-13: 7.0 ppg - .366 FG% - .314 3PFG%

2013-14: 16.0 ppg- .445 FG% - .400 3PFG%

The winner of our first award is Gerald Green, who may owe his exit from Indiana and subsequent opportunity in Phoenix to the rise of Stephenson. In the Pacers slow-paced system, Gerald was somewhat of a misfit, playing in only 60 games last season and struggling mightily. In the Suns Hornacek-conceived, Dragic-led turbo attack, however, Gerald is perfectly cast.

His season averages may not look that impressive but the baseline from which he began was far lower than the other contenders. 28 year old "shooting" guards who've just shot .366 for an entire year normally find themselves in China (aging in dog years with with Steve Francis) rather than signing on for another NBA job. Gerald has completed a truly remarkable 180 in Phoenix.

Consider his post All-Star break numbers, too: 19.1 ppg, .450 FG% and a ridiculous .428 3PFG% on over 6 attempts per game. In April, during the Suns fight-to-the-death playoff battle royale with Dallas and Memphis, his numbers are even better: 21.3 ppg, .512 FG% and a basically cheating .500 3PFG% on almost 7 attempts per game. Right now, Green may be in the 4 or 5 best scorers in the entire league.

Simply put, he's gone from playoff DNP to keeper of dreams/destroyer of souls in the stories of 3 possible playoff teams - and that's why he's our MIP

 MIP REWIND

 1993-94 MIP 

It's been twenty years since Don "American Pie" MacLean was awarded MIP. Don would go on to be the the first NBA player to be suspended for eating performance enhancing drugs. Nothing further Your Honor.

 

2003-04 MIP 

Z-Bo won MIP a decade ago after going Ape Tit for 200 during the '03-04 season. His scoring increased by 12 points per game and his boards per game were up by half a dozen. He also reduced his "Ruben Patterson Sucker Punches" to less than one a season.