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Last year’s winner – Jimmy Butler of the Chicago BullsAt the end of the every NBA season writers and reporters across the United States and Canada put forward their opinion in the form of votes for the league’s individual awards. Since its inception in the 1985-86 season, the Most Improved Player Award is the only individual award never to be given to any player more than once, for obvious reasons – it’s not a “Comeback Player” Award. Among all the season-ending awards, the Most Improved is considered the one with the most ambiguous description and is often considered a knock on a player’s talent. To make this clear, let’s clarify what the ballot for this award states:"This award is designed to honor an up-and-coming player who has made a dramatic improvement from the previous season or seasons. It is not intended to be given to a player who has made a 'comeback.' Please vote for three players. Five points will be awarded for a first place vote, three for second and one for third.”Piggybacking on the ballot description, the criteria for our MIP candidates is the player’s development as portrayed by their season averages and the team’s performance during their development. Keeping that in mind, here are the early MIP candidates for the 2015-16 season:
#5 Reggie Jackson
“I want to be a starter. I’ve always wanted to be a starter. I’ve always wanted to be great. All the greats I’ve seen started, so that’s kind of the mold.” That’s what Reggie Jackson said at the beginning of the 2014-15 NBA season.
Courtesy of an injury to Russell Westbrook early last season, Jackson got his chance at the starter’s role and that didn’t go down too well from the team’s perspective. Some teammates considered him a ball hog trying to do things himself and the team chemistry took a big hit. That led to a three-team deal at the trade deadline in February that shipped Jackson to Detroit to play for the Pistons.
With his new team’s starting point guard Brandon Jennings out with an Achilles tear, he was thrust into the role he had talked about earlier – that of a starting point guard. His development and success with the team has got a lot to do with the Head Coach and Team President Stan Van Gundy’s spread out offensive system, however his contribution to the team cannot be taken for granted.
Almost evert statistical facet in his game has grown in his time in Detroit and along with Andre Drummond, he has played a huge role to the team’s early 11-9 success. The growth in his game was displayed when he scored 26 points in the fourth quarter, leading his team to a comeback win over the Portland Trailblazers in early November:
#4 Hassan Whiteside
Through 18 games of the young 2015-16 NBA season, Hassan Whiteside has recorded 82 blocks, which is more than what six teams as a whole have recorded so far. That is a Stephen Curry-type stat. Whiteside’s presence in the paint has been a huge reason for the Miami Heat’s defense to be ranked second best in defensive efficiency.
The Heat have found a gem and defensive cornerstone in Whiteside, one they should and could use more as an offensive option as well. Whiteside as a 7-foot center lacks a fundamental post game but is among the most agile centers of the league, which helps him make east meat of lobs from his teammates. His incredible wingspan of 7’7” also allows him to drop a non-contested hook once in a while.
He has literally had to earn his time in the NBA. For close to four years he toiled in the NBA D-League, leagues in LeBanon and China before he could prove his roster spot on an NBA team.
His rise to stardom came late last season when he recorded a triple-double in points, rebounds and blocks in a Heat win over the Chicago Bulls. Since then the spotlight has been on him and with increased playing, his averages have gone up slightly. Surely once the Heat include him more in their offensive set, his offensive numbers will also shine making him a legit contender for the award.
Here’s a more recent triple double recorded by Whiteside against the Minnesota Timberwolves:
#3 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo has thrived under the coaching of Jason Kidd, who has found a way to make his teams better by playing small ball whether it was in Brooklyn or in Milwaukee.
The reason Giannis came under the spotlight and then evolved each day was his playing time. His ball handling skills for a 6 foot 11 inch forward were something Kidd couldn’t ignore. It’s not just his ball handling skills but also his agility for a player that tall and of course his 7’4” wingspan.
There’s no getting by this but the Bucks have struggled so far in the 2015-16 season. Despite that Giannis has kept his personal growth on track to make a legitimate case for this award.
His points per game average has jumped from 12.7 last season to 16 this year and he is doing so with a much better shooting percentage from both sides of the three-point arc. His Player Efficiency Rating (PER) or in simpler words his efficiency to the team while he is on the floor, has risen from 14.6 to 17.7
Certainly playing some international ball in the EuroBasket 2015 for the Greece National Team would have benefitted the young 21 year old. On the other hand, all it could be is Giannis’ comfort level rising and growing with each minute he spends on the floor. Unless injury strikes or his playing time takes a hit, he makes a compelling case for this Most Improved.
Here are his top 10 plays from last season:
#2 C.J. McCollum
The rest of the players on this slideshow were predictions that have turned fruitful through the first 19-20 games of the season. In C.J. McCollum’s case, he pushed himself into contention after a 37-point performance (22 in the first quarter) against the New Orleans Pelicans on opening night.
In Damian Lillard the Portland Trailblazers have only one of their five starters from last season, which gave younger, fresher faces a chance at the big stage to showcase their talent.
McCollum being one of the the Trailblazers’ youngsters, has the biggest advantage among the rest, coming out of nowhere. The franchise always knew his potential but couldn’t give him the much needed chance when an accomplished shooting guard like Wesley Matthews played ahead of him.
With Matthews gone, McCollum has made full use of the opportunity given to him. Have a look at the difference in his season averages:
| Averages | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Minutes |
| 2014-15 season | 6.8 | 1.5 | 1 | 15.7 |
| 2015-16 season | 19.4 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 35 |
The huge upgrade in his averages makes him a promising candidate to win the award. For a third year player, McCollum’s comfort level and confidence are refreshing to say the least. Below is his breakout performance on opening night against the Pelicans:
#1 Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond is easily without doubt the leading contender for the MIP award. Once again Stan Van Gundy’s offensive system, which resembles the Orlando Magic’s system from his earlier days, has helped Drummond’s growth and maximises his strength.
Declogging the paint and stretching out the offense has left the entire area surrounding the rim to be operated by Drummond alone and boy, has he shown his dominance.
If averages of 13.8 points and 13.5 rebounds were not satisfactory, Drummond this season averages 18.5 points and 17 rebounds. So far this season he has recorded 20+ rebounds 5 times and has registered 20+ points and 20+ rebounds thrice.
Putting that into perspective, in the entire league combined, the Houston Rockets’ Dwight Howard is the only other player to register 20+ points and 20+ rebounds.
While his personal performance has seen a big boost, it’s his impact on the team’s performance which makes him the leading contender for MIP award. One week into December last year, the Pistons just won 3 games out of 20, while this year the team has an above .500 record of 12-9.
The difference is commendable and Drummond’s work in the paint surrounded by the shooters around him is the framework that Detroit are thriving under.
Watch below the most dominant performance by Drummond this season with 25 points and 29 rebounds:
