The 2016 NBA Most Improved Player award is one of the, if not the most, controversial award handed out every season because of its ‘unimportance’ to the grand scheme of the season. The MVP award is one that obviously goes to the leagues best player, Rookie of the Year gets handed out to the best first year player, Defensive Player of the Year goes to the guy who played the best defense all season along with playing on a great defensive team, the sixth man of the year award goes to the best bench player who provided the most to his team in a reserve role and the Coach of the Year usually goes to the coach who did the best job throughout the season, but the Most Improved Player award? Aren’t NBA players always supposed to improve season by season until they retire?
Yes and No. The award going to a second year player, obviously, is a little silly. A guy who was a rookie and gets better in his second year should not be awarded for it, he is expected to progress. But when it comes to a guy who was put in a new role, he’s expected to improve but it doesn’t always workout like that. So with that being said, here’s the top candidates for the 2016 NBA Most Improved Player award and the guys on the outside looking in.
2016 Most Improved Player Award: Honorable Mention
J.J. Barea, PG, Dallas Mavericks
2014-15 Stats: 77 Games, 18 MPG, 7.5 PPG, 3.4 APG, 1.7 RPG, 42% shooting, 32% 3-Point Shooting, 81% Ft Shooting
2015-16 Stats: 72 Games, 23 MPG, 11.1 PPG, 4.1 APG, 2.0 RPG, 45% shooting, 39% 3-Point Shooting, 78% Ft Shooting
J.J. Barea’s spike in production for the 2015-16 season hasn’t been dramatic like others but it has been noticeable, especially as of late. After Barea won his first career player of the week award, he garnered some attention for what he’s been doing all season, coming off the bench as the primary option to run the Mavericks offense and sometimes starting when Deron Williams got hurt. The Puerto Rican product uses his size, crafty dribbling and great court vision to make plays and make baskets. While his entire season hasn’t been full of team success, it’s still worth nothing his improved season as the driving force behind the Dallas Mavericks recent run, somehow squeaking into the playoff picture.
Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors
2014-15 Stats: 80 Games, 33 MPG, 23.8 PPG, 7.7 APG, 4.3 RPG, 49% shooting, 44% 3-point shooting, 91% Ft shooting
2015-16 Stats: 75 Games, 34 MPG, 30 PPG, 6.7 APG, 5.4 RPG, 50% shooting, 46% 3-Point shooting, 90% Ft shooting
The only reason Stephen Curry won’t win this award is because he will win the MVP, without a doubt. Chef Curry has cooked up some fantastic games all season long and while the month of April hasn’t been too kind for Curry and the Golden State Warriors, he’s still having a great season. How does the reigning MVP become a nominee for the Most Improved Player award? Easy, increase your points per game by nearly seven points, increase your shooting percentages and lead your team to a 70 win season.
Jae Crowder, SF, Boston Celtics
2014-15 Stats: 82 Games, 20 MPG, 7.7 PPG, 1.1 APG, 3.6 RPG, 42% shooting, 29% 3-point shooting, 77% Ft shooting
2015-16 Stats: 69 Games, 32 MPG, 14.5 PPG, 1.9 APG, 5.2 RPG, 45% shooting, 34% 3-point shooting, 82% Ft shooting
Last season Jae Crowder split time between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics due to being a part of the Rajon Rondo trade and his true potential wasn’t accessed until the C’s made a push towards the playoffs and faced off with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round. Crowder was and still is, the Celtics second best perimeter defender behind Avery Bradley and he puts up some solid numbers to go along with his defensive skills. All across the board Jae has increased his numbers and the only reason why he’s not among the top three is because he’s missed a handful of games as of late but he is still worth noting as a nominee for this award.
2016 Most Improved Player Award: Top Contenders
3. Kemba Walker, PG, Charlotte Hornets
2014-15 Stats: 62 Games, 34 MPG, 17.3 PPG, 5.1 APG, 3.5 RPG, 39% Shooting, 30% 3-point shooting, 83% Ft shooting
2015-16 Stats: 77 Games, 36 MPG, 21.2 PPG, 5.1 APG, 4.5 RPG, 43% shooting, 38% 3-point shooting, 85% Ft shooting
Kemba Walker was touted as a nice point guard who really can’t shoot and a guy who has a nice dribble but struggles to score sometimes and last seasons injury issues didn’t help his case. This season he’s all but shut up all of his doubters and nearly made his first All-Star game in 2016. Walker is also leading a Hornets team into the playoffs missing Al Jefferson for a big chunk of the season and recently missing the talent of fellowed improved and skilled guard, Nicolas Batum. One of Kemba’s biggest downfalls, along with his lack of defense at times, was his three-point shooting and while it has not dramatically improved, his percentages have increased and he’s shot and made nearly twice as many more three-pointers than he did last season. Kemba’s putting up career-high numbers and coming up clutch on a playoff team and he’s putting everyone on notice, Kemba is coming and that might not be good news for the NBA’s point guards.
2. Will Barton, G/F, Denver Nuggets
2014-15 Stats: 58 Games, 17 MPG, 6.8 PPG, 1.4 APG, 2.8 RPG, 43% shooting, 27% 3-point shooting, 78% Ft shooting
2015-16 Stats: 79 Games, 29 MPG, 14.5 PPG, 2.5 APG, 5.9 RPG, 43% shooting, 35% 3-point shooting, 81% Ft shooting
The Denver Nuggets season might not have gone as well as they wanted but they do have a ton of bright spots including rookie point guard Emmanuel Mudiay’s improvement as the season has gone on, the superb play from the trio of young, international big men in Jusef Nurkic, Nikola Jokic and Joffrey Lauvergne and one of the leading candidate for sixth man of the year, Will Barton. After a subpar season last year, spent between the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers, Barton was often buried on the depth chart behind other wing players like Wesley Matthews, Nicolas Batum, Wilson Chandler and Randy Foye. With injuries to Chandler and fellow wingman Danilo Gallinari, the Nuggets looked at Barton to step up and give the Nuggets a scoring punch and he sure did that. He increased every major statistically category and he’s having the best season of his career coming off the bench as Denver’s sixth man. Barton as a piece of this Nuggets core could provide them with a major piece on their roster that many other teams don’t have, a legit bench scoring threat.
1. C.J. McCollum, G, Portland Trail Blazers
2014-15 Stats: 62 Games, 16 MPG, 6.8 PPG, 1 APG, 1.5 RPG, 44% shooting, 40% 3-point shooting, 70% Ft shooting
2015-16 Stats: 78 games, 35 MPG, 21 PPG, 4.2 APG, 3.3 RPG, 45% shooting, 42% 3-point shooting, 83% Ft shooting
Basically after the first month of the season, this award was C.J. McCollum’s to lose. While other guys like McCollum’s ex-teammate in Barton and reigning MVP Stephen Curry might steal some votes from him, its hard to deny the dramatic improvement from McCollum. C.J. has proved that with a chance, he can produce and playing alongside Damian Lillard, the Blazers have one of the top three backcourts in the NBA only coming the Splash Brothers in Golden State and the duo north of the border with the Toronto Raptors. McCollum’s numbers have sky-rocketed from last year and the third year player out of Lehigh is one of the biggest reasons this Blazers team is headed towards the playoffs after many people (myself included) predicted they would be a lottery team this season. He’s filled in his new role very well and he looks to be an important part of Portland’s future and he should undoubtedly win the 2016 Most Improved Player award.
