7. Markelle Fultz, Philadelphia 76ers
Of the 33 Most Improved Player winners in NBA history, only seven have won the award in their second season, with the most recent being Monta Ellis over a decade ago (2006-07). However, after his well-publicized struggles in a highly scrutinized rookie year, Markelle Fultz has a legitimate chance if he looks like the No. 1 overall prospect he was originally pegged to be.
In his first NBA season, Fultz posted just 7.1 points, 3.8 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game on 40.5 percent shooting in his 14 appearances for the Philadelphia 76ers. He dealt with a combination of the yips and a mysterious shoulder injury that resulted in a complete lack of a jump shot.
After spending the summer working with trainer Drew Hanlan, who once helped tweaked Joel Embiid‘s jumper, Fultz could look like a completely different player in 2018-19. Hanlan says Fultz at 100 percent is “immediately an All-Star,” and after such a disappointing debut, if he immediately establishes himself as part of the Sixers’ new Big 3, he’ll be impossible to leave off ballots. However, that’s quite a one-year leap to make, especially with Embiid, Ben Simmons, J.J. Redick and Dario Saric sure to demand touches on offense.