It wasn't the regular season that many of us expected, but given the circumstances, an impressive late-season run and another near-playoff miss could serve to provide a sturdy foundation for the future. But now that it's over, it's time to hand out awards. In this case, you get to vote on who wins. We'll have a different award to hand out each day, so keep checking in. Feel free to discuss your reasoning for making a particular vote in the comments.

Previous Awards: Most Improved Player - Most Impressive Victory

Once again, there wasn't a whole lot of defense this season, despite improvement over the second half of the year. Particularly, the Rockets struggled in late-game situations and ranked near the bottom of the league in fourth quarter points allowed per game.

That said, go ahead: pick your defensive player of the year. With Trevor Ariza and Shane Battier gone from last year's squad, who stepped up to pick up the slack?