Which players are poised to take the biggest steps forward next season? We preview the top 5 candidates for the Most Improved Player award.
The offseason is a tough time for hardcore basketball fans. Sure, there’s NBA draft season followed by the frantic pace of free agency and of course Summer League, but before you know it, you’ve got a few bleak months without any shred of pro basketball to be found.
This year is a slight exception as the U.S. men’s national team is currently competing at the Rio Olympics, but unless consistent blowouts are your thing, that doesn’t really count.
Although the offseason can be trying for fans, it serves as a vital opportunity for players to improve their games and get ready for the upcoming season.
For a lot of guys, the amount of work they put in during the offseason can be the difference between being just another guy or being a legitimate impact player. It just so happens there’s award that epitomizes that concept: the Most Improved Player Award.
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Jimmy Butler, who won the award in 2014-15, is the perfect example of this.
He had three NBA seasons under his belt before capturing the award, the latter two of which were pretty solid statistical campaigns, but he took that next step thanks to nothing but the desire to be great and putting in the work to get there.
He played 38.7 minutes per game in 2013-14 and averaged 13.1 points, 2.6 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game.
The following season in which he won Most Improved Player, he averaged exactly 38.7 minutes per game for the second season in a row, but catapulted his numbers to 20 points, 3.3 assists, and 5.8 rebounds.
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While Butler won the award strictly by pushing himself to get there, some guys already have the skill and just need an opportunity to reach the next level. Last year’s winner,
C.J. McCollum, falls into that category.
He was fairly productive given his lack of minutes in 2014-15, averaging 6.8 points per game in 15.7 minutes.
But his minutes doubled and then some last year with a lot of key departures from Portland, leading to his breakout campaign of 20.8 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the field, 42 percent from three, and 83 percent from the line.
Whether it’s due to a likelihood to progress or the fact that they’ll be faced with an increased opportunity this upcoming season, there are plenty of players poised to take a big leap in the 2015-16 season.
Here are the five players with the best chance to finish the year as the NBA’s Most Improved Player.
Next: No. 5