Aaron Brooks runs away with Most Improved Player award; Rondo finishes t-12th

[Roy Hobbs]

Aaron Brooks of the Houston Rockets is the winner of the 2009-10 NBA Most Improved Player Award presented by Kia Motors, the NBA announced Thursday. The annual award is presented to a player who has made a significant improvement from the previous season.

Brooks received 403 of a possible 615 points, including 62 first-place votes, from a panel of 123 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder (17 first-place votes) and George Hill of the San Antonio Spurs (seven first-place votes) tied for second with 101 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third place vote received.

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/04/22/MIP/

Rondo tied for 12th place overall, with two first place votes and two thirds. 

I was surprised that Brooks won by such a wide margin; his "improvement" came largely from playing more minutes this year than last, in my opinion.  The guy you're seeing today isn't that much different than the one who was playing late last season.

[Fafnir]

This is how awards and contracts are often awarded. They look at per game numbers and go off of that.

[indeedproceed]

He took on a much bigger leadership role on that team, but I don't think he deserved it so much.

Gerald Wallace is right up there for me. So is Russell Westbrook.

[Atzar]

I don't know.  I wouldn't have given it to Aaron Brooks, mostly because I think players are supposed to experience great strides in their game between the first and second years.  Frequently, I don't necessarily attribute it to a growth in their actual skill set.  While he and Westbrook and Durant undoubtedly improved, I think their better stats are as much a function of increased minutes or familiarity with the league over a full season than they are of improvement.  For that reason, I'd be more inclined to look at guys like Gerald Wallace, or Andrew Bogut, or Josh Smith. 

Feel free to disagree with me - it's more of a gut instinct than a researched opinion, and there's no denying that Aaron had a very good season (even if it was on a team with no other legit scoring threat for much of the year).

[housecall]

Russell Westbrook get my vote for Most Improved Player,and as much as i hate to give any Hawks players any credit,Josh Smith & Al Horford improved a lot this season from last,(imo).I agree with RH about Brooks is pretty much the same player we saw in the second half of last season.

[Drucci]

Brooks deserves it but Rondo should have been ranked much higher... I know his stats didn't improve by a wide margin but still, they improved quite a bit too and his impact on his team had never been so obvious and powerful.

Unfortunately I think last year's playoffs played against Rondo for the award this season since people kind of took for granted his talent after his series against the Bulls.

[PosImpos]

Gerald Wallace got robbed

[BudweiserCeltic]

Well, clearly the voters thought they were voting in the Coach of the Year ballot.