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The Most Improved Player of the Year race in the NBA is heating up. One player has a big lead, but some newcomers are challenging for the award. Either way, the favorites are all made up of younger stars. Let’s take a look at how things stand.
The race for Most Improved is like the other NBA awards this season, with no definite winner as the season approaches the All-Star break. Here are the current top five for NBA Most Improved. The Most Improved odds are provided by DraftKings Sportsbook.
Top Five NBA Most Improved Players of the Year
#5 - Jalen Williams, OKC Thunder (40/1)
Williams was hyped before the season and is living up to it. He is often the second-place player on the Thunder, and that is saying something, considering how great Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been. Also, the Thunder are one of the top teams in the league and among the deepest.
Williams is averaging 18.6 points and 4.5 assists per game. He has put up some clutch shots, too, and is showing a rise in confidence in his second season.
#4 - Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors (14/1)
The Raptors have opened up the team to make Scottie Barnes the face of the franchise after trading away Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby.
Barnes deserves the trust, as he is averaging 2.3 ppg this season. He is top 50 in the league in scoring this season and has shown flashes of being the go-to guy on an NBA team. His scoring is up from 15.3 ppg last season.
#3 - Coby White, Chicago Bulls (10/1)
White has jumped up the odds board after being 14/1 last week. He is shining in Zach LaVine’s absence and has had an incredible January.
White is averaging 21.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg and 5.7 apg this month. He has increased his season scoring from a career-low 9.7 ppg last season to 18.8 this season, almost double the production.
#2 - Alperen Sengun, Houston Rockets (+340)
Sengun is starting to get the hype and may be the best player on the Houston Rockets, even though Jalen Green was the higher pick, and Fred VanVleet got the huge free agent contract. His odds have changed a bit from 3/1 last week.
Sengun fills out the stat sheet, and the Rockets can run the offense through him. He is averaging 21.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg and 5.0 apg and is making the most of more opportunities after averaging 14.8 last season.
#1 - Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers (-240)
Maxey is having one of the best seasons in the league. He is being overlooked a bit due to his teammate Joel Embiid. The big man is once again the MVP favorite and just scored 70. But make no mistake about it: Maxey deserves the award talk.
Maxey is averaging 25.7 ppg and 6.6 apg and has filled the void left behind by James Harden both in scoring and passing. Maxey is the odds-on favorite for good reason, after averaging just 20.3 ppg and 3.5 apg last season.
