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The race for the NBA's Most Improved Player of the Year gets tighter every week with the regular season at its halfway point. Ja Morant is the favorite to win the award, with the Memphis Grizzlies point guard proving to be a superstar in just his third season.
Morant's teammate, Desmond Bane, has also made a case for the title as he continues to help Memphis win games. Miles Bridges and Dejounte Murray are neck-and-neck as well, with both players having All-Star seasons.
Lastly, Tyler Herro and Jordan Poole are both sixth men for their respective teams, but are also candidates for the Most Improved Player award.
Let's take a look at this week's NBA MIP power rankings by Sportskeeda.
#5 Tyler Herro
Previous week's NBA MIP Power Ranking - #5.
Last Week: Games played - 2; Games won - 2; Games lost - 0.
Overall: Games played - 35; Games won - 22; Games lost - 13.
Last Week: PPG - 27.0, APG - 7.0, RPG - 7.0
Overall: PPG - 20.7, APG - 4.1, RPG - 5.1
Last Week: FG% - 53.8%, 3P% - 40.0%, SPG - 1.5
Overall: FG% - 42.9%, 3P% - 38.3%. SPG - 0.6
The Miami Heat had just two games last week, with Tyler Herro averaging 27.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists. The Heat have Herro coming off the bench to provide scoring and energy. He is shining as the sixth man this season, and is the favorite to win that particular award come the end of the season.
For this week's NBA Most Improved Player power rankings, Herro retains his position at number five. He could have been placed higher if the Heat had played at least one more game last week.
#4 Desmond Bane
Previous week's NBA MIP Power Ranking - #4.
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 3; Games lost - 0.
Overall: Games played - 42; Games won - 28; Games lost - 14.
Last Week: PPG - 19.0, APG - 3.7, RPG - 4.7
Overall: PPG - 17.5, APG - 2.4, RPG - 4.5
Last Week: FG% - 48.8%, 3P% - 54.2%, SPG - 1.7
Overall: FG% - 46.7%, 3P% - 42.7%, SPG - 1.0
The league has taken notice of Desmond Bane, who has shined for the Memphis Grizzlies this season. Bane played a vital role for the Grizzlies when Ja Morant went down with injuries last month. He is showing no signs of slowing down now that Morant is back in the lineup.
The second-year guard played in three games last week, averaging 19.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Bane torched the LA Lakers and LA Clippers last week, but had a below-par game against the Golden State Warriors. For this week's NBA Most Improved Player power rankings, he remains in fourth place.
#3 Miles Bridges
Previous week's NBA MIP Power Ranking - #2.
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 3; Games lost - 0.
Overall: Games played - 40; Games won - 21; Games lost - 19.
Last Week: PPG - 19.7, APG - 2.3, RPG - 9.0
Overall: PPG - 19.6, APG - 3.6, RPG - 7.3
Last Week: FG% - 45.5%, 3P% - 31.6%, FT% - 50.0%
Overall: FG% - 47.5%, 3P% - 31.8%, FT% - 75.5%
Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets drops to number three in this week's NBA Most Improved Player power rankings. Bridges played wonderfully last week, averaging 19.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists in three games.
He was vital for the Hornets' success last week, helping defeat the Milwaukee Bucks twice and the Philadelphia 76ers. The only reason the 23-year-old isn't in second spot is because Dejounte Murray of the San Antonio Spurs had a monster week.
#2 Dejounte Murray
Previous week's NBA MIP Power Ranking - #3.
Last Week: Games played - 4; Games won - 0; Games lost - 4.
Overall: Games played - 36; Games won - 14; Games lost - 22.
Last Week: PPG - 25.5, APG - 9.3, RPG - 7.0
Overall: PPG - 18.8, APG - 8.9, RPG - 8.2
Last Week: FG% - 44.4%, 3P% - 34.6%, SPG - 2.5
Overall: FG% - 44.2%, 3P% - 33.8, SPG - 2.1
Dejounte Murray leaps over Miles Bridges in this week's NBA Most Improved power rankings to take second place. Murray, who is challenging to be an All-Star this season, averaged 25.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 9.3 assists last week.
The Spurs star put up a triple-double on Wednesday (12 January) against the Houston Rockets in what was his seventh triple-double of the season. The only problem for Murray is that the Spurs are not a winning team. They are currently on a four-game losing streak and have a worrying 15-26 record this season.
#1 Ja Morant
Previous week's NBA MIP Power Ranking - #1.
Last Week: Games played - 3; Games won - 3; Games lost - 0.
Overall: Games played - 30; Games won - 18; Games lost - 12.
Last Week: PPG - 22.3, APG - 7.0, RPG - 6.0
Overall: PPG - 24.9, APG - 6.7, RPG - 5.7
Last Week: FG% - 49.0%, 3P% - 11.1%, FT% - 72.7%
Overall: FG% - 48.9%, 3P% - 37.9%, FT% - 76.7%
Ja Morant has cemented his place among the best young NBA players this season. Not only is Morant playing like a superstar, but he is also showing his leadership skills. The 22-year-old helped the Grizzlies win three contests last week and extended their winning streak to 10 games.
The third-year guard averaged 22.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists last week. Those are not eye-popping numbers, but Morant led the Grizzlies to big wins against the LA Lakers and Golden State Warriors in this period. He also managed an impressive 29 points, five rebounds and eight assists in his matchup against Steph Curry and co.
Guess the Lakers players!
