2016-17 NBA Awards Season: Top 10 Most Improved Player Candidates

Nov 23, 2016; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert (27) dunks the ball in the third quarter against Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic (15) at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The Utah Jazz defeated the Denver Nuggets 108-83. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Swinger-USA TODAY Sports /

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Apr 10, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas (4) reacts during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden. The Celtics won 114-105. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Isaiah Thomas

Last season with the Boston Celtics, Isaiah Thomas was an entertaining performer but also an inefficient gunner, averaging his career-high 22.2 points per game on middling .428/.359/.871 shooting splits.

This season, IT made the leap to superstardom as an efficient scorer, posting a career-high 28.9 points per game on .463/.379/.909 shooting — all while remaining one of the most entertaining performers on a night-to-night basis of any Boston sports team.

In fact, even in one of the most crowded MVP races in NBA history, IT deserves an honorable mention for leading the Celtics to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Boston’s offense completely sputters without him, and he’s elevated his game this year far more than anyone was expecting.

Like Bradley Beal, the fact that he was already something of a star last year hurts his Most Improved Player case somewhat. That being said, increasing his scoring average to nearly 30 points per game while posting such efficient shooting numbers is no small feat, especially with 5.9 assists and his “Mr. Fourth Quarter” reputation added in.