The ballots are out, so it’s time to put some thought in on this year’s award winners.

Most valuable player:

Steve Nash.

He might not have deserved that first one. And the second one was a bit of a surprise, too, because it elevated him to all-time great status. But the two-time reigning MVP is the biggest impact player in the league this season, and he is very much worthy of a third straight trophy.

He began the season with significantly better numbers than 2005-06, which had many believing a third straight award was a lock. But his coach predicted that Nash’s numbers would settle back to last season’s level because Nash was compensating while his center, Amare Stoudemire, was rounding into shape.

That’s exactly what happened, and that’s the beauty of Nash. Not only will he give his team an identity, he will change his role within that style whenever needed. His numbers are still slightly better than last year’s, with his assists up by one a game to 11.5 and his shooting percentage up from 51 percent to 53 percent, remarkable for a 6-3 guard.

Runner-up: Dirk Nowitzki. He might be the best player on the league’s best team, but the Mavericks have reached this level because of their defense and not, necessarily, because of Nowitzki’s 25 points and nine rebounds a game.

Sleeper: Tracy McGrady.

Rookie of the year:

Brandon Roy.

A lot of people wanted to compare either Roy or Randy Foye to Dwyane Wade. Neither can match Wade’s explosiveness, but Roy has shown similar court awareness, unselfishness and a knack for leading his teammates, even as a youngster. His numbers make him the runaway winner of this award, leading all rookies in scoring and assists and shooting 45 percent in 35 minutes a game.

Runner-up: Andrea Bargnani.

The No. 1 overall pick might be out after undergoing an emergency appendectomy, but he was instrumental in the Raptors’ transformation this season from losing team to respectable playoff team, averaging 14.3 points in February and May.

Sleeper: Rudy Gay.

Coach of the year:

Jeff Van Gundy.

With Daryl Morey being groomed to succeed Carroll Dawson as general manager after this season, and coming off an injury-riddled, disappointing 2005-06 season, Van Gundy was, at the very least, under pressure to do well this season, if not squarely on the hot seat.

So the Rockets’ coach made sure this injury-riddled season wouldn’t result in more disappointment.

Despite significant time missed from McGrady and Yao Ming, the Rockets have remained one of the best teams in the league behind a very Van Gundy-like defense.

Runner-up: Avery Johnson. The Mavericks continue to take on their coach’s intense identity, and it has translated into an NBA-best record.

Sleeper: Pat Riley.

Defensive player of the year:

Marcus Camby.

The Nuggets have been one of the more perplexing teams in the league, before and after acquiring Allen Iverson from the 76ers. But Camby, the man in the middle, has been steady all season, particularly with blocked shots and rebounds.

While the Defensive Player of the Year isn’t all about statistics, Camby’s league-leading 3.1 blocks a game and second-best 9.2 defensive rebounds are especially impressive.

Runner-up: Tyson Chandler. The Hornets’ big man seems to impact every play on both ends of the court. Even though he blocks just 1.8 shots game, he grabs eight defensive rebounds a game and has intimidating length inside.

Sleeper: Kirk Hinrich.

Sixth man of the year:

Leandro Barbosa.

The Suns’ reserve guard has been tagged The Brazilian Blur because of his speed, but it’s Barbosa’s improved feel for the game that has him experiencing his best season to date.

Having started only 18 games this season, Barbosa is still averaging almost 18 points a game, and is shooting 47 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point range. He also averages 4.1 assists a game. Even playing behind an impact player such as Nash, Barbosa can change a game off the bench.

Runner-up: Manu Ginobili. Technically, Ginobili will be eligible for this award if he finishes the season coming off the bench, because he will have started less than half his games. But it’s all those starts that takes away from his candidacy.

Sleeper: Jerry Stackhouse.

Most improved player:

Kevin Martin.

He might be experiencing a late-season slump, but it’s hard to blame him given all he has endured on a dysfunctional Kings team. For most of the season, though, Martin has made a name for himself by averaging better than 20 points and shooting almost 50 percent. That almost doubled his scoring average from last season, even though Martin has played only nine more minutes a game.

Runner-up: Monta Ellis. This second-year Warriors guard probably was the happiest person in the organization when Don Nelson was hired before this season. Ellis almost has tripled his scoring average to help the Warriors remain in playoff contention.

Sleeper: Chandler.