2017-18 NBA Awards Watch: Final picks for MVP, ROY and more
Most Improved Player of the Year: Victor Oladipo
Final ballot:
- Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers)
- Julius Randle (Los Angeles Lakers)
- Spencer Dinwiddie (Brooklyn Nets)
The Most Improved Player of the Year Award can be hard to peg. Is it for a player who improves his scoring average the most, an on-the-rise player who becomes a star, or just someone who has the most memorable breakout year? Do second-year players qualify? What about someone who barely played the year before and simply became a solid rotation player?
The answer lies somewhere in between, but even with an award title that’s wide open to interpretation, Victor Oladipo made the conversation simple in 2017-18.
You could make a case for a multitude of players. Clint Capela‘s importance to an unstoppable Rockets team can’t be understated and extends far beyond the minuscule leap in his individual numbers. The same goes for Steven Adams, albeit with worse numbers on a worse team.
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Nikola Jokic leapt from good to great numbers, as did Tobias Harris. Devin Booker posted an elite stat line and (for those who could tolerate watching the Phoenix Suns) made the leap from promising young player to certifiable franchise star, but his lack of team success will keep his name far from the MIP ballot.
We could go on and on, but the most likely candidates (after Oladipo) seem to boil down to Julius Randle and Spencer Dinwiddie. The Brooklyn Nets guard was perhaps the best story of their season, averaging 12.6 points, 6.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game, bringing stability to a banged up backcourt and taking home the Skills Challenge trophy at All-Star Weekend.
Randle, meanwhile, proved his value to the Los Angeles Lakers ahead of his restricted free agency, posting 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game on 55.8 percent shooting while playing in all 82 games. His numbers may not have improved much year-over-year, but considering how much more firepower the Lakers had to work with this year, he drastically stepped up his game.
However, any name atop the MIP ballot that isn’t “Victor Oladipo” should be stricken from the record and burned at the stake. It’s not just about the narrative of the Paul George trade and escaping the shadow of Russell Westbrook; it’s about a former No. 2 overall pick coming back home to Indiana and finally proving his worth as “the guy” for a legitimate playoff team.
The Pacers were supposed to be an Eastern bottom-feeder; Oladipo led them to an astonishing 48 wins and the 5-seed. Oladipo was supposed to be a second fiddle; instead, he established himself as a go-to scorer and clutch shot-maker on one end while clamping down defensively to put himself in the running for an All-Defensive Team selection.
Oladipo also drastically improved from last year from an individual standpoint, earning his first All-Star selection behind career numbers that should also earn him an All-NBA spot:
- 2016-17: 15.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.2 SPG, 44.2 FG%, 36.1 3P%, 13.6 PER
- 2017-18: 23.1 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.4 SPG, 47.7 FG%, 37.1 3P%, 21.3 PER
Not only did Oladipo lead the league in steals, but he also posted career highs in scoring, rebounds, assists, steals, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and Player Efficiency Rating. He became the two-way star most envisioned when he was first drafted, and the Pacers saw a whopping 13.7 decrease in Net Rating whenever he sat.
Throw in all the Indiana homecoming/Paul George trade/Pacers exceeding expectations/former No. 2 overall pick living up to the pre-draft hype storylines and this one is a landslide.