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Luka Doncic, Brandon Ingram headline NBA Most Improved Player Ladder

By Phil Watson

NBA Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic Minnesota Timberwolves Andrew Wiggins. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)
NBA Dallas Mavericks Luka Doncic Minnesota Timberwolves Andrew Wiggins. Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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NBA Atlanta Hawks Trae Young
NBA Atlanta Hawks Trae Young (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

player. 125. . . . Trae Young. 6

The Atlanta Hawks have cratered since a 2-0 start to the season, winning just three of 20 games since. The Hawks lost third-year power forward John Collins five games into the season after he drew a 25-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.

But none of that has stopped Trae Young from making a significant leap in his second NBA season. Taken fifth overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, Young had a decent rookie season and showed marked improvement over the second half of the 2018-19 season.

Young averaged 19.1 points, 8.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 30.9 minutes per game. His playing time this season has increased to 34.6 minutes per game, while his production has jumped much more. In 21 games this season, Young is averaging 28.7 points. 8.4 assists and 4.0 rebounds, with his shooting improving from .418/.324/.829 last season to .463/.393/.853 so far in 2019-20.

When breaking it down into a per-36 basis, Young has moved from 22.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 9.4 assists and 1.0 steals to 29.9 points, 8.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals.

With Collins out, Young has taken on much of the offensive responsibility for Atlanta and he’s handled it well. He has two 40-point games this season, including matching a career-high with 49 points on Nov. 29 in a loss at Indiana. He had 42 points and 11 rebounds when the Hawks won a shocker in Denver on Nov. 12 and had a 30-point triple-double Nov. 23 against the Raptors.