Every year, one of the most hotly debated recognitions at the end of the NBA’s regular season is the Most Improved Player Award.
Last year, first-time All-Star Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz had the honor bestowed upon him. The other two nominees for the award, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks, each had strong individual cases themselves. Gilgeous-Alexander was eventually rewarded with a 1st Team All-NBA selection while Brunson had a great opening round of the playoffs that showcased both his leadership and his skill set.
The NBA’s Most Improved Player is one of the league’s most prestigious awards. Who will walk away with the trophy next season?
In order to be considered for this prestigious award, a player must not only improve individually but there must also be a general sense that his contributions to the team have bolstered their performance that season and helped the franchise maintain positive momentum. Becoming a winning team is hard to do in the NBA; if a player can positively impact the wins and losses column his value to the franchise reaches far beyond the stat sheet.
The NBA draft was less than a month ago and the summer league just concluded; it is way too early to predict next season’s awards winners. Nevertheless, I will take the luxury of making a few bold predictions as to who will lead the race for the award next season. In selecting the players who should be in the running for the award next year, I have taken into consideration both last year’s performance, anticipated individual development, and the trajectory of the team. Let’s take a closer look at the way-too-early candidates for the 2024 Most Improved Player Award.