6 best candidates for NBA's Most Improved Player beyond just Cade Cunningham
Now that we are past the NBA All-Star break and trade deadline, we can get a clearer picture of what the awards may look like at the end of the season.
One of the most interesting awards is the NBA's Most Improved Player and while Cade Cunningham is the name that is coming up the most often, there are at least a few other names fans ought to consider before placing a bet.
Using analytics, including some help from our friends at dunksandthrees.com, a few names immediately pop up. Let's start with the one that is perhaps most intriguing
When examining performance across all metrics, the player who has shown the most improvement this season is actually Cleveland's Darius Garland. But this is a slightly unusual case because the last two years were a regression for Garland and now, as you can see in the chart below, he is playing more like the caliber of player he was when he made the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.
Another player in a similar situation who would have otherwise made our leaderboard is Memphis forward Jaren Jackson Jr.
While last year represented a dip for Jackson, he is also back to the same player he was when he was named an NBA All-Star in 2023.
Other players who have some betting momentum but did not make an appearance on our rankings include New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy and Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (who should earn consideration for other awards like Sixth Man of the Year and All-Defense).
A few other intriguing candidates who are not currently making waves with sportsbooks but deserve attention include Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (who barely played last season and may not meet the required minutes threshold this season) and L.A. Clippers big man Ivica Zubac (who is yet another All-Defense candidate).
Some other honorable mentions include New York Knicks wing Josh Hart, Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson, Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama, and Boston Celtics guard Payton Pritchard (who is the favorite to win NBA's Sixth Man of the Year).
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