NBA 2014-15: 5 players to watch out in the second half of the season

It’s been just over a week since we passed the halfway mark of the season (41 games per team) and clearly the contest for league MVP honors is a hard fought between Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors and James Harden of the Houston Rockets.Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls runs away with the Most Improved Player Award for the first half while the Best Sixth Man award is seeing its most open fight in recent times with Jamal Crawford, Isaiah Thomas and Marreese Speights all having a great season so far off the bench.Coach of the first half would be a stiff fight between Steve Kerr of the Warriors and Mike Budenholzer of the Atlanta Hawks. Meanwhile for the Defensive Player of the year, Anthony Davis is clearly the favorite so far and given his performances he will remain the favorite till the end of the season unless an unlikely and unwanted injury strikes.It would be lovely to analyze and explain why each of these players are worthy of these awards at the half way mark of the season. Nevertheless it is important to realize that we still have an exciting second half of the season ahead of us.So looking forward, here are the top 5 players to keep your eyes open for during the second half of the NBA 2014-15 season :

#5 Langston Galloway - New York Knicks

After averaging 12.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3 assists over 8 games during his two 10 day contracts with the team, the New York Knicks has confirmed the signing of former D-Leaguer Langston Galloway for the remainder of the ongoing season.

Galloway along with his other D-Leaguers Lance Thomas and Lou Amundson, who the Knicks also signed to 10-day contracts, have played exceptionally contributing in a huge way to the team’s recent and only 3 game win streak of the season.

Not that his production alone will result in victories for the team nonetheless the importance of Galloway’s contribution at the guard spot can’t be denied. He has given the team a reliable, contributing and an efficient starting guard, something Tim Haraway Jr., J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert failed to do for the first two months of the season

Whether it was the Triangle offense that these three guards failed to understand or their inefficient game itself, one thing is for sure that Galloway is a guard that Phil Jackson would love to keep in New York if he continues playing the way he has during his 20 days in the NBA.

#4 Hassan Whiteside - Miami Heat

Hassan Whiteside played close to four years of basketball in the D-League and places like Lebanon and China before the NBA courtesy of the Miami Heat took notice of this big man’s talent. He is not as imposing as DeMarcus Cousins, not as good of a passer like Marc Gasol and not as fundamental as Mr. Fundamental Tim Duncan yet this guy has been making the ground shake with his performances.

He has recorded three double doubles and a triple double for the Heat so far and every time he has done so, the team has finished with a W at the end of the buzzer. He makes his opponents think twice before driving into the paint when he is around.

Having not watched his game, many disbelieved his defensive impact until he was swatting the Chicago Bulls attempts like flies. He finished that game with 12 blocks and recorded a triple double in just 25 minutes.

Just 25 years old, expect this kid to be a star in the future, however, as of now he is just what the Heat needs for the ongoing season. He should eat into Chris Anderson minutes resulting in more opportunities for this young center to show off his potential.

#3 D.J. Augustin - Detroit Pistons

There are always a group of players who have played second or third fiddle all their playing career and never received the chance to play on the starting line-up consistently. D.J. Augustin is one such guard who has played for 5 teams since 2012.

Many believe Brandon Jennings’ ACL tear could mean the end of the road for the Pistons this season. Head Coach Stan Van Gundy through all his years of coaching has always maintained a respectable bench that can step up when called upon.

No more playing back-up point guard, Augustin’s game allows him to not let this opportunity to prove himself slip through. In the first two games that Jennings has been out, Augustin has averaged 27 points, 4 rebounds and 8.5 assists.

The figures say a lot about what he is capable of and with Jennings definitely out for the rest of the season and even the Playoffs, if the Pistons get there, Augustin will surely show the league how more playing time helps his contribution.

#2 Zach Randolph - Memphis Grizzlies

The success that the Memphis Grizzlies have tasted over the recent years has got a lot to do with the play of their starting front court duo of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. With their early season success this year Gasol entered early season MVP conversations while Randolph quietly continued pouring in his invaluable contributions every game.

Everybody underestimated the importance of Z-Bo when the team was winning, however, when the team went 4-5 in his absence, there were sudden doubts on how far the Grizzlies could go without Randolph.

Since returning from a knee injury, Z-Bo has been playing lights out. In the 9 games he has played after recovery, he is averaging 19.6 points and 13.2 rebounds at an incredible shooting percentage of 59%. Memphis going 7-2 since his return makes the importance of his play and contribution to the team very clear. Playing the way they are Memphis are a safe team to bet a long post-season on.

#1 LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers

Even the best player on the planet is human and thus needs rest. Four long grueling years of regular season and Playoffs in Miami took its toll on the body of LeBron James. To make matters worse, a team of misfits the Cleveland Cavaliers were struggling to win games even with the King on their side.

A tough decision needed to be taken and the King decided to travel with the team but take a leave of absence from his on-court duties. His knee and back had become sore to a point that he was no more contributing efficiently to the team when on the court.

In his absence the Cavs lost seven of their eight games and things looked to be going from bad to worse. General Manager David Griffin and James saved the team together. Griffin made a couple of trades that would address the team’s roster handicaps such as a legitimate shot blocker and a scoring 2-guard.

Welcome J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert and Timofey Mozgov.

James made his return against the Phoenix Suns on the road with a 33 point, 7 rebound and 5 assists box score yet his team failed to win. Having said that, since that game the Cavaliers are on a 8 game winning streak while LeBron is averaging 30.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists since his return.

Currently, Stephen Curry and James Harden are wrestling it out for league MVP honors but watch out for James. He might just crash the party and run away with the MVP award on the back of a spectacular second half of the season.