Most Improved Player: Dejounte Murray
There are a few contenders for this award, namely Murray, Derrick White and DeMar DeRozan.
White could come out firing after being mainly confined to the G League last year. He could become an important part of the rotation, and there’s even an outside chance he ends up starting alongside Murray and DeRozan before the year ends.
However, Most Improved Player of the Year is usually reserved for players who became stars. The most recent winners are Victor Oladipo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, CJ McCollum, Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic and Paul George. Even if White improves by leaps and bounds, there’s almost no chance he becomes a star one year after barely playing at all.
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DeRozan has the opposite issue. He’s already solidified himself at a top-20 player, but that high ranking combined with his being 29 years old means that he doesn’t really have that much room to improve.
There is some precedent for a player who goes from star to superstar, but it’s uncommon. One could argue that Antetokounmpo did just that when his numbers jumped from 16.9 points per game, 7.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists up to 22.9 points per game, 8.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists a night. However, the Greek Freak was only 22 when he did that, and DeRozan is much more defined in who he is as a player now.
If Gregg Popovich somehow makes DeMar DeRozan a 40 percent shooter from deep and a great defender to go along with his other skills, then he’d have a shot. Still, that’s a low-probability event at this point in DeRozan’s career.
That’s why Dejounte Murray has the best shot at this award. He’s so young, and is already a great defender, decent passer and incredible rebounder (last year, he had more rebounds per 36 minutes than Antetokounmpo did in his MIP season).
As a full-time starter, Murray could blow people away. If he develops into a real third star alongside DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge and his scoring takes a leap, he’ll be the perfect fit for an award like this.