Ryan Anderson was a deserving recipient of the 2012 NBA Most Improved Player award, but some of the players further down in the voting results were head-scratchers. Andrew Bogut, who played in just 12 games this season, received a first-place vote from one of the 121 writers tasked with determining the award. Whether that voter mistook Bogut for Andrew Bynum or actually felt that Bogut somehow deserved the award, it's hard to imagine we'll see a worse choice during NBA award season.
Here are a few more Friday afternoon odds and ends from around the league:
- Andrei Kirilenko reiterated to media in Russia that reports of him having agreed to a deal or negotiating with the Nets are inaccurate. NetsDaily.com has the details.
- A return to the NBA for John Calipari is looking increasingly unlikely, for now at least — Kentucky announced today that Calipari and his staff have signed multiyear contract extensions to stay with the Wildcats, writes Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv.
- Sam Smith of Bulls.com fields questions from readers in a mailbag, with a focus on Derrick Rose's uncertain recovery timeline and the Bulls' roster next season.
- With the Mavericks on the verge of elimination, Kevin Sherrington of the Dallas Morning News says Mark Cuban's bad gambles were too much for the team to overcome.
- Dirk Nowitzki agrees that the Mavericks took a step back this season, rather than a step forward, writes Jeff Caplan of ESPNDallas.com.