Six short months ago it wasn’t known if there was even going to be a 2011-12 NBA season. Now we are in the last week of a condensed 66 game regular season and the storylines have been even better than last season.

Last season, all of the storylines revolved around the “Big 3” and the Miami Heat. Of course, we got our daily dose of Miami Heat coverage from ESPN this season, but a new storyline that dominated the media emerged and it goes by the name “Linsanity.”

Jeremy Lin was a virtual unknown at the beginning of season and was on his way to the D-League until he got his opportunity in the Big Apple. Lin took the entire country by storm, much like Tim Tebow did in the NFL.

Lin not only was winning games, but he was doing it in the most prestigious basketball arena in the world, Madison Square Garden. Linsanity has since cooled off because of Carmelo Anthony returning from injury and Lin getting injured himself, but hey, it was fun while it lasted.

The story dominating the headlines to end the regular season has been the soap opera going on down in Orlando. The Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy marriage looks to have come to an end with one Eastern Conference championship and no NBA championships to show for it.

Howard leaving Orlando at the end of the year or at the deadline seemed like a done deal, but he shocked everyone when he agreed to remain with the Orlando Magic for the 2012-13 season (sorry Nets and Lakers fans). Now, Howard may be injured for the entire postseason with a herniated disk that may mean the Magic are heading for a first round exit. Van Gundy will be fired at the end of the season, but will the Magic bring someone in to play Robin to Howard’s Batman? We may have another “decision” coming next offseason if not.

As for the actual basketball played on the court this season, it has lived up to the expectations. The teams we expected to be good – Heat, Bulls, Thunder and Lakers – have been good and the teams we expected to be bad – Hornets, Bobcats, Kings and Wizards – have been bad. “Lob City” – the Los Angeles Clippers – hasn’t disappointed and neither has the entire Western Conference.

To sum up the regular season, I will give out my end of the year awards. These are the awards that matter because if voters knew what they were doing, Steve Nash would not have two MVP awards right now, but I digress.

Coach of the Year: Gregg Popovich. When it comes to NBA coaches year in and year out, it doesn’t get much better than Pop. Popovich has managed to keep the Spurs at the top spot in the West while strategically giving Duncan and Ginobli days off to rest because of what he calls being “old.”

Rookie of the Year: Kyrie Irving. This is an easy choice with Ricky Rubio getting injured so early in the season. Irving leads all rookies with 18.8 points per game and also averages 5.7 assists and 3.9 rebounds.

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard. You can knock Howard for his play at times this season, but one thing that can’t be ignored is his 14.5 rebounds per game and 2.15 blocks.

Sixth Man of the Year: James Harden. Not only should you recognize James Harden because of his beard, but you should also recognize him for his play on the court. Harden is averaging 16.4 points, 3.7 assists, and 4.1 rebounds. Keep in mind; these numbers are coming off the bench.

Most Improved Player: Jeremy Lin. A guy that goes from the end of the bench to one of the faces of the NBA deserves to be recognized in some way. Lin may be missing the end of the regular season, but when he did play, he averaged 14.6 points and 6.2 assists. Oh yeah, and all he does is win.

Most Valuable Player: Tony Parker. This pick may seem like it is out of left field, but it’s not. A case can be made for a variety of different players including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Love, but Tony Parker is having a year to remember. Parker is averaging 18.4 points and 7.6 assists, but the stats don’t tell it all. Parker is the leader of the team with the Western Conference’s best record. If Parker plays well, the Spurs play well. If Parker does not play well, neither does his team. Unlike LeBron James and Kevin Durant, Parker doesn’t have superstars around him. He has an aging Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli as his sidekicks. If you base the MVP voting on stats alone, LeBron James should win the award every year, but if you base it on who is most valuable to his team, it’s Tony Parker.

The West has seven teams capable of going deep into the playoffs with the Spurs, Thunder, Lakers, Clippers, Grizzlies, Nuggets and Mavericks. The Spurs must have found the fountain of youth and it must be located at the Alamo because they look as if they are poised to make another title run. The Thunder has two MVP candidates in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. These are the two teams currently fighting for the top seed in the West and the two teams I predict to go to the Western Conference Finals.

The East is not as deep of a conference as the West, but it is very strong at the top. There are four teams capable of winning the NBA Championship in the Eastern Conference with the Bulls, Heat, Celtics and Knicks. The Knicks are currently the seven seed, but have the talent of a one or two seed when healthy. The Bulls are currently the number one seed and that is with Derek Rose not being at 100 percent the entire season. The Heat is the most talented team in the league, but has been struggling of late. I predict that there will be a rematch in the Eastern Conference Finals from a year ago with the Heat and the Bulls, but as we all know, the playoffs are all about matchups.

This postseason is setting up for a Thunder/Bulls Finals matchup. The Bulls are the best defensive team in the league and, if Derek Rose is healthy, the best team in the league. The Thunder is a very talented team and a young and exciting team to watch. The big question mark is if the team can gel for the entire playoffs without Westbrook and Durant clashing. They are too talented to not make it to the NBA Finals for us to see a Rose vs. Westbrook matchup. I’m going with the Bulls and Rose to win it all because, as they say, defense wins championships.