CHICAGO - With less pomp and pageantry, the Oscars, more formally known as the Academy Awards, were handed out today to honor the best achievers in motion pictures.
In homage to the memorable occasion and given my lifelong affinity for the movies, Spin Zone is also rolling out the list of top performers for the soon-to-be-concluded 2020-21 NBA regular season.
Without further ado, the envelopes please.
BEST ACTOR IN A LEAD ROLE. Showbiz, sexy names lead the cast of nominees for this most prestigious plum.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, LeBron James and Joel Embiid are all in the green room while Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz is furiously knocking on the door.
And the winner is no joke.
Nikola Jokic.
The 6-foot-11, 284-pound Serb is averaging 26.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and 8.7 assists per this season while hitting 56.8 percent of his shots, including 40.5 percent from long distance and 85 percent from the free throw stripe.
Giannis, the reigning back-to-back MVP, has gaudy numbers as well (28.5 ppg, 11.4 rpg and 6 apg) but he is dreadful from 3 (30 percent) and a mess at the charity stripe (68.2 percent).
LeBron and Embiid could have won it, too, but they each missed 19 of their teams' 60 games thus far and those absences knocked them off the podium.
Besides being an indispensable utility for the injury-stricken Nuggets, the 26-year old Jokic is also reliable as a lithium battery and has played in all of Denver's 60 games.
BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE. No surprise here and I swear there's no favoritism as well.
Jordan Clarkson is running away with the coveted award, separating himself from worthy candidates such as Chris Boucher of the Toronto Raptors, Montrezl Harrell of the Los Angeles Lakers and Tim Hardaway Jr of the Dallas Mavericks.
Although his overall shooting has dropped (42 percent from the field and 34 percent from 3) since mid-February when he sustained a fracture in his shooting hand and a persistent ankle injury, Jordan's numbers across the board are solid - 17.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per in 51 outings.
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER. I had LaMelo Ball. He was dazzling, mesmerizing while flaunting his natural all-around gifts at a stunning rate of 15.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.1 dimes a contest.
Now injured, the Hornets guard has missed 19 games already and will not likely meet the 50-game requirement (70 percent of 72 games in this shortened season) to qualify for the award.
James Wiseman of the Golden State Warriors is drowning on the same boat after a meniscus tear ended his promising season at 39 games.
By default, the trophy goes to Anthony Edwards, the No. 1 overall pick in the past draft. Playing for the worst team in the league, the 15-46 Minnesota Timberwolves, Edwards is soldiering on with 18.3 points and 4.4 rebounds through 61 games.
BEST DIRECTOR - Rookie coach Steve Nash is doing a masterful job massaging the egos inside the locker room of the East-leading 41-20 Brooklyn Nets.
Doc Rivers has made the Sixers play to their potential while Quin Snyder has transformed the Jazz into title contenders.
But to me, Tom Thibodeau tops them all.
Before he arrived in New York, the Knicks were a toxic wasteland, perennial losers, the butt of jokes and, arguably, the armpit of the NBA.
With the militaristic 
cracking the whip, the Knicks are currently on a nine-game winning streak and will definitely make the playoffs with their 34-27 record and 11 to go in their schedule.
And he is doing it with Julius Randle as the marquee performer. Ain't that like turning water into Merlot?
Greg Popovich (Spurs) Steve Kerr (Warriors) and Frank Vogel (Lakers) deserve honorable mention for maintaining winning records despite their team's unfortunate circumstances but Thibodeau's reclamation project in New York is an unbelievable feat of human achievement.
Apparently, the Thibodeau-Derrick Rose magic, which was once spell-binding in Chicago, is now enrapturing the always-forlorn Knicks.
There goes the show. See you again here next year.
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