Every season the NBA media debate over who should win that oh so coveted Most Valuable Player Award. This year it’s pretty safe to say that James Harden and Russell Westbrook are the league’s top two candidates. Their stellar performances night in and night out are hard to ignore. It’s simple, the MVP is based on a players stats and the ability to rack up wins for their team. The Most Improved Player Award, however, is a little more challenging to gauge. Players make strides every week and go unnoticed due to the constant spotlight being shined on the superstars of the NBA. This is ironic considering that in the past 5 years some of the MIP winners have turned into NBA superstars; Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, and Paul George are examples.
This season, there are 3 MIP candidates that could develop into that superstar commentators and analyst drool over every night.
The Top 3 Most Improved Player Award Candidates So Far This Season
Harrison Barnes
The Dallas Mavericks aren’t exactly an elite team. However, they do possess a potential future all-star in Harrison Barnes. Since leaving the Golden State Warriors, Harrison Barnes has proved he can handle the pressure of being “that guy” for Dallas. Last season, Barnes averaged 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. This season, he’s averaging 20.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. His 3-point percentage has dropped from 38.3% to 33.5%. This is a result of more attention being put on him this season.
Being on a team with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson is the perfect situation to be in if you want wide open 3-pointers. Regardless of the drop in long range percentage, Barnes is still finding other ways to score. Barnes has turned into a solid isolation player, blowing by his defenders and using step-back jumpers. We didn’t see much of this from Barnes last season.
Last year he was known as a good on-ball defender, but this year it’s all about his offense. Barnes has developed a potent mid-range jumper shooting 46.3% from 10-16 feet. His free throw shooting percentage took a major leap from 76.1% on just 2 attempts per game to 85.1% on 3.4 attempts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOA0NK0cNC0
Despite having to carry a heavier load, Barnes is still shooting a decent 47.5% from the field with a PER of 17.6. This is a huge improvement compared to his PER of 12.3 from the previous season. Barnes hasn’t shown much of a difference in his defensive ability but has made tremendous strides in his offensive game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
If you look at Giannis’s Antetokounmpo’s numbers year-by-year, he’s improved in almost every major category outside of 3-point percentage. The scary part of Antetokounmpo’s growth is that he’s only 22 years old and has earned a spot in the starting lineup at the NBA All-Star game. The Greek Freak has come a long way from 16.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a couple of blocks and steals here and there. Last season, Antetokounmpo showed he was one of the most athletic players in the league. This season, he’s using that athleticism to average 23.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.7 steals, and 2 blocks a game. All of the statistics above were lower last season. He is also top 5 at his position in all of those categories including the number of double-doubles recorded.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z0HGacn23s
His PER skyrocketed from 18.8 last season to 26.6 this season. We can only imagine what that number would look like if Antetokounmpo was a much better 3-point shooter. This is his most obvious weakness shooting a lackluster 28.9% from beyond the arc. Ironically, he has actually improved in that category despite how bad it still is. Antetokounmpo went from 25.7% to 28.9%. While his three-point range still needs much more improvement, it is still progression nonetheless.
Right now, Antetokounmpo has enough moves for it not to matter. The 6’11 forward uses his length to get to the basket and score. Once he’s around the rim he’s either getting fouled or dunking, there is not much teams can with him in the paint. His signature move has been a long euro-step, and he’s developing more post moves as you read this. On defense, Antetokounmpo isn’t the best at moving his feet, but his height and wingspan make up for it. He doesn’t have to put in as much effort to make stops because of how he’s built physically. He wasn’t even considered a top defender last season. Now, he’s top 25 in defensive rating.
Given his stellar individual play, Antetokounmpo would be high in MVP contention if the Bucks weren’t so bad. The Bucks are currently 12th in the Eastern conference, and Antetokounmpo’s superstar performances aren’t helping the Milwaukee Bucks go on any sustainable win streaks. An MVP caliber player has to at least be able to will their team to the playoffs. Furthermore, there is no doubt that Giannis Antetokounmpo is on the top of the list of players that have taken their game to the next level in a short amount of time.
Dennis Schroder
With the departure of Jeff Teague and Al Horford, Dennis Schroder has stepped up and helped the Atlanta Hawks remain around the same seed as last season. Head coach Mike Budenholzer saw something special in Schroder and as he began to perform better, it was clear that Jeff Teague was about to be replaced. It was obvious to Hawk fans and even Jeff Teague. In an interview with The Vertical, Jeff Teague said of the Hawks organization, “I could feel it. I knew they were going into a different direction and could tell it wasn’t with me. But I accepted it.” Here we are today and Schroder has matured into a nice young point guard. Last year he averaged 11 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds. He’s currently averaging 17.4 points, 6.3 assists, and 2.9 rebounds.
The one area of Schroder’s game people questioned was his perimeter shooting. The Hawks signed Dwight Howard and Budenholzer knew it would be harder to penetrate due to the lack of floor spacing. Schroder is shooting 34.7% from 3. Although not a super high percentage, it’s good enough for defenders to over-commit and allow Dennis to use his speed to drive to the basket. Schroder has shown flashes of an All-Star level point guard in the making. From guarding backup point guards to the elite and still holding his own, Schroder has an array of moves under his belt including no-look passes and soft touch floaters off the glass.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcWnq5zJGqU
Schroder is fitting in better than most people would’ve imagined after losing starter Jeff Teague. Schroder has a deadly mid-range shooting ability. Shooting 47.2% from 10-16 feet and 46.7% from 16>3 feet. He didn’t really have a go-to move last season, but now players have a hard time predicting his next move. His PER went from 15.5 to 16.7. Statistically speaking, Schroder isn’t one of the best defenders in the league, but he’s stingy. He often guards players full court when hes locked in. Dennis is only 23 but he’s bringing enough to the table to help his team stay in the playoff picture. He’ll definitely earn a fair number of MIP votes.
Honorable Mentions
Devin Booker, Rudy Gobert, George Hill, Otto Porter, Bradley Beal, Steven Adams
