With the madness of March behind us and the hangovers receding throughout Connecticut, it's time to look forward to the rest of the NBA season. While one cannot dispute the drama that comes with one-and-done elimination, the 7-game series of the NBA playoffs yield the better team without fail is a long, drawn-out chess match between two coaches at the highest level, tinkering and fine-tuning their troops every game until one team comes out on top. This is basketball at its highest level of skill and athleticism.
There are individual awards to give out and a champion to be crowned. Here's a look at how things may turn out.MVP: Kevin Garnett
Garnett should have won the award last year and should certainly top Tim Duncan in the voting this year. He is without a doubt the best and most versatile player in the league but he has also turned into a leader. He set the tone for the Minnesota Timberwolves after the team brought in Latrell Spreewell and Sam Cassell, and the team has followed his lead to the best record in the NBA. With the Timberwolves poised to finally escape the first round, Garnett has to be the most valuable player.

Rookie of the Year: Carmelo Anthony
While Lebron James is almost certain to win, Anthony is the more deserving player. With the Nuggets floundering towards the end of the season, Melo took Denver on his back and lifted them into the playoffs. Anthony averaged 25 points over the last seven games of the season, hitting big shot after big shot. Not only did Anthony lead his team to more wins than James, he did it in the Midwest divison, the best division in basketball.

Coach of the Year: Jerry Sloan
Talk around the league is that Memphis' Hubie Brown will win the award, but no coach has done more with less than Utah's Sloan. Sloan lost two Hall of Famers in Karl Malone and John Stockton who had been the foundation of his team for almost two decades, yet still had high expectations. Even after losing lead scorer Matt Harpring early in the season, the Jazz used stifling defense and constant effort to fall only one game short of the playoffs. People said the Jazz wouldn't win 20 games. They won 42.

Defensive Player of the Year: Ron Artest
There is no better perimeter defender in the game. Artest has the quickness to defend small guards, the strength to body up bigger, small forwards and the heart to think he can stop anybody. His vast collection of flagrant and technical fouls denied him the award last year, but a much more controlled Artest is the game's best defender this year.

Sixth Man of the Year: Manu Ginobili
The Spurs swingman could easily start, but comes off the bench to give San Antonio the quickness and athleticism that is sometimes lacking in the backcourt.

Most Improved Player: Michael Redd
The quick release lefty came from nowhere to gain the first all-star selection of his career, while leading the overachieving Bucks to the playoffs.

Executive of the Year: Joe Dumars
The Pistons GM not only acquired an all-star in Rasheed Wallace while giving up practically nothing, he actually cleared cap room with the trade.

Eastern Conference Champion: Detroit Pistons
Defense wins in the playoffs, and no one in the East plays it better than the Pistons. Detroit has the size upfront with Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace to take on any frontcourt, and coach Larry Brown is one of the best defensive coaches of all time. Their no superstar system leads to excellent ball movement and stifling defense. The Indiana Pacers will push the Pistons for the conference title, but with a match up so close, the edge goes to the better coach. Rick Carlisle has done great with the Pacers, but Brown is a Hall of Famer. New Jersey will fight valiantly in its quest for a third straight conference title, but the Nets are not as solid defensively as they have been in past years. With Detroit and Indiana both stronger up front, the Nets will face an early exit.

Western Conference Champion: San Antonio Spurs
All the powers in the Western Conference got significantly better during the off-season except the Spurs, but the fact of the matter is that coach Greg Popovich's system works. If you watch the Spurs play, you see five guys constantly moving their feet, pressuring the passing lanes, contesting shots and helping each other out. Defense wins championships and the Spurs play a heck of a lot of it. Tim Duncan is a proven winner. Tony Parker has gotten incredibly efficient running Popovich's system. Ginobili seems to sense what the Spurs need on any given night and fills the box score accordingly. The Lakers are stacked in talent but have not shown that they can step up and stop teams defensively. Ditto for the Kings who hoped to slip into the finals unnoticed. The Spurs are the team with championship swagger and the defense to back it up.

NBA Champion: San Antonio Spurs
The Eastern conference has failed to yield a champion since Michael Jordan left Chicago and will come up short again. But with the Pistons sporting an intimidating front line and the Spurs worn down by their crusade through the West, Detroit should challenge San Antonio more than enough to provide the first very closely matched NBA finals since the Spurs won their first title in 1999. It will be a great match up with mentor Larry Brown coaching against former student Greg Popovich, but in the end the student will leave the master. The Spurs will win game seven in San Antonio, clinching their second straight title. When all is said and done, the Lakers and Spurs will have combined for the last six championships.