NBA award season predictions: Will Nikola Jokic seal the deal for MVP?

NBA Award Season Most Improved Player: Julius Randle

Starting with the Most Improved Player award, the five candidates were: Julius Randle, Michael Porter Jr., Jerami Grant, Christian Wood and Zion Williamson.

With 90 percent of the first-place votes Randle won in a landslide, the race is has been a lock in many people’s eyes since Randle received his All-Star selection.

The only other player to receive first-place votes was Porter, who in the absence of Jamal Murray has taken on a larger role — which may be a reason for his recent increase in the Most Improved Player award race.

Wood has been injured, only playing 45 games this season. And the Grant hype train died after a couple of months when the Pistons went from new and cute to stinky and well, the Pistons.

Williamson suffers from the “second season stigma”, where voters are unlikely to vote for a player in their second season because they are supposed to be better — despite the fact that Willaimson is having a historic season.

That just leaves Julius Randle, he has improved in so many facets of his game this season, points per game, assists, rebounds and 3-point percentage.

Randle received 90 percent of the first-place votes and it’s easy to see why, Randle’s ability to shoot from three and score in the mid-range has unlocked his scoring ability, as well as his passing.

The New York Knicks don’t have a conveniently deep roster, and it seems doubtful they’ll make it past the second round, but Randle is having an All-NBA season and that is a far cry from what anyone could have expected from last season — let alone for his career.

Plus he is making the Knickerbockers fun again, that should be an award in itself.