NBA: Top 10 candidates for 2018-19 Most Improved Player award

5. D’Angelo Russell, Brooklyn Nets

Most people were expecting this kind of leap last season when D’Angelo Russell was to set to take over the Brooklyn Nets‘ offense, armed with a chip on his shoulder after the Los Angeles Lakers jettisoned him to clear Timofey Mozgov‘s contract. Injuries played a role, but the truth is, Russell just wasn’t very good.

His numbers actually regressed a bit in 2017-18, with the young floor general posting 15.5 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game on 41.4 percent shooting from the floor and 32.4 percent shooting from downtown.

With that being said, he also never found his rhythm in Brooklyn since he only played 48 games and never got to suit up next to Jeremy Lin after opening night. It’s far too soon to give up on this 22-year-old, so if he can stay healthy in 2018-19, his rise to prominence will be just as welcome for Nets fans — even if it was delayed by one year.