NBA Award Watch: Antetokounmpo, LeBron and Wiggins making a statement

With Week 1 in the books, we’re handing out awards to players for their amazing performances, showcasing different skills — on and off the court.

Kyrie Irving in Boston. Chris Paul in Houston. Carmelo Anthony and Paul George in Oklahoma City. It was a crazy offseason and anticipation grew towards opening night and the first week of basketball.

In this weekly column, I’ll start to hand out awards based on the performances of the previous week. Obviously, I’ll take a look at the major NBA honors, including MVP, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Coach of the Year, Most Improved Player and Executive of the Year. Other than these usual honors, I’ll also hand out awards for the Best Dunk, Dazzling Dime, Perfect Play, Fantastic Fashion and Terrific Tweet.

Each week, I’ll check in on five awards that need to be discussed. The first seven days of action in the NBA has been absolutely exhilarating, filled with the Suns falling apart, a Lonzo Ball triple-double, numerous Giannis Antetokounmpo praises and two Warriors’ losses.

Let’s go ahead and select winners for the first week in the #NBAAwardWatch.

Dazzling Dime

LeBron James is entering his 15th season as a professional basketball player and every year it becomes more and more of a privilege to watch him play.

He’s dazzled with big-time shots, chase-down blocks, but his biggest strength might be dishing the ball from different points on the court. James can do it with ease using both hands, getting the rock to his teammate for an easy finish.

On opening night against the Boston Celtics, one of James’ nine assists was an amazing left-handed bounce pass to Jae Crowder for an easy layup, who was cutting along the baseline.

James’ ability to see Crowder cutting and then get the ball around the out-stretched arms of Aron Baynes is amazing. The award for Dazzling Dime of the week goes to James, who showcases his ability to create plays for his teammates on a routine basis.

I’m sure LeBron will show up in this category multiple times before the year ends, but its his first mention on the #NBAAwardWatch.