Who's the Most Improved Player?

[Scout200]

Who are you guys looking forward to seeing with more playing time this year? Who do you think is the most improved from last year to this year?

-Scout

[Bahku]

Who are you guys looking forward to seeing with more playing time this year? Who do you think is the most improved from last year to this year?

-Scout

Without a doubt it's Rajon ... this kid is evolving rapidly before our eyes. KG has also improved a great deal due to his health recovery, and Marquis' increased aggressiveness has made him much more valuable. I'd have to put Glen on the list, too, though down a few spots, as he's still making some rookie mistakes, but improving a great deal. Rondo's number one, though, on my list of MIP's.

[Chris]

Dorrell Wright has to be near the top of the list.  Averaging 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block per game.  Not bad for a guy who couldn't stick in the Heat rotation.

[celticsmaniac18]

Dorrell Wright has to be near the top of the list.  Averaging 16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block per game.  Not bad for a guy who couldn't stick in the Heat rotation.

agreed. kid was nothing on the heat. now u can own him on fantasy without gettin shatted on.

[manl_lui]

although i love Rondo, but my vote goes to Kevin Love

Rondo went from good to GREAT
Kevin Love went from "ok" to really good!

I mean Rondo offense still looks the same, have yet to see him go to the line much, rebounds the same but his assist skyrockets

Kevin Love in my opinion should get the MIP...his points and rebounds went up

two games straight he got a 20 20

a 20 reb 20 pt game against the Lakers and then a 30 reb 30 pt game!

[wiley]

Based on stats you could throw in Beasley, Nicolas Batum and Hakim Warrick.....not sure about Warrick's stats compared to last year but he seems to be doing very well....

[jr_3421]

My vote would go to Paul Milsap. Dude has been an absolute beast.

[fairweatherfan]

Millsap, Wright, and Love are the leading contenders right now I'd say. 

Unfortunately for Rajon, it's really hard for someone who's already an All-Star to get Most Improved.

[Fan from VT]

Right now, here are my candidates:

All stats are:
FG% 3FG% FT% Stl Blck TO RBS ASSTS PTS PER

Monta Ellis
41.4 .449 .338 .753 2.20 0.40 3.8 4.0 5.3 25.5 16.74
39.8 .511 .219 .735 2.70 0.20 3.1 4.1 4.7 26.8 22.71
this one may seem odd, but Ellis is essentially putting up the same pure numbers as last year in slightly lower minutes and incredibly better efficiency.

Kevin Love
28.6 .450 .330 .815 0.70 0.40 2.0 11.0 2.3 14.0 20.74
29.6 .399 .320 .833 0.30 0.50 2.4 14.6 1.8 18.0 22.70

Russell Westbrook
34.3 .418 .221 .780 1.30 0.40 3.3 4.8 8.0 16.1 17.9
39.0 .456 .154 .907 2.30 0.80 3.8 6.4 7.8 24.3 27.1

Eric Gordon
36.0 .449 .371 .742 1.10 0.20 2.3 2.6 3.0 16.9 14.15
37.5 .473 .150 .793 1.10 0.60 3.8 3.6 4.8 22.0 18.55

Pau Gasol
37.0 .536 .000 .790 0.60 1.70 2.2 11.3 3.4 18.3 22.97
38.4 .529 .000 .816 0.80 1.40 1.7 11.9 4.4 22.7 26.16
He's kicked it up a notch, which is scary.

Roy Hibbert
25.1 .495 .500 .754 0.40 1.60 1.8 5.7 2.0 11.7 16.30
31.3 .466 .000 .838 0.30 3.10 2.9 9.1 3.7 16.1 21.86

Luis Scola
32.6 .514 .200 .779 0.80 0.30 2.0 08.6 2.1 16.2 17.22
34.5 .519 .000 .729 0.80 0.90 1.4 11.1 2.0 21.9 24.04

Steph Curry
 36.2 .462 .437 .885 1.90 0.20 3.0 4.5 5.9 17.5 16.31
 34.3 .496 .385 .862 2.30 0.30 3.7 3.3 6.7 21.0 21.62

Al Horford
35.1 .551 1.000 .789 0.70 1.10 1.5 9.9 2.3 14.2 19.43
30.6 .642 0.000 .767 0.50 0.60 1.4 9.0 3.3 16.3 25.53
This one may seem a little weird, but his absolute numbers are almost identical to last season yet in 5 minutes less per game, hence his efficiency has actually improved dramatically.

Rajon Rondo
36.6 .508 .213 .621 2.30 0.10 3.0 4.4 09.8 13.7 19.18
40.7 .462 .400 .524 3.00 0.20 3.9 5.2 14.9 10.8 20.05
To be honest, I don't see this one. Not yet. Essentially, he's bumped his minutes up a bit, but his turnovers are up and his scoring is down which offsets his marked assist increase. This is evidenced by the fact that his PER hasn't shifted much at all; he's essentially just re-distributed his production while keeping it all the same. And his shooting percentage has fallen. Now, I know, Leadership, intangibles, heart, winning, all that stuff, but, frankly, all of those things are said by the fan bases of all the other players in the whole league; I don't think that they can be fairly applied to Rondo in terms of an improvement over last year, at least in a way that makes up for the fact he has not yet made a major leap overall. Now, if he starts shooting over .500, gets his points up to the 12-14 range while the assists stay where they are and the TO's get down to the sub 3.0 range, that's what he really has to do to be in the running league-wide.

[Scout200]

Right now, here are my candidates:

All stats are:
FG% 3FG% FT% Stl Blck TO RBS ASSTS PTS PER

Monta Ellis
41.4 .449 .338 .753 2.20 0.40 3.8 4.0 5.3 25.5 16.74
39.8 .511 .219 .735 2.70 0.20 3.1 4.1 4.7 26.8 22.71
this one may seem odd, but Ellis is essentially putting up the same pure numbers as last year in slightly lower minutes and incredibly better efficiency.

Kevin Love
28.6 .450 .330 .815 0.70 0.40 2.0 11.0 2.3 14.0 20.74
29.6 .399 .320 .833 0.30 0.50 2.4 14.6 1.8 18.0 22.70

Russell Westbrook
34.3 .418 .221 .780 1.30 0.40 3.3 4.8 8.0 16.1 17.9
39.0 .456 .154 .907 2.30 0.80 3.8 6.4 7.8 24.3 27.1

Eric Gordon
36.0 .449 .371 .742 1.10 0.20 2.3 2.6 3.0 16.9 14.15
37.5 .473 .150 .793 1.10 0.60 3.8 3.6 4.8 22.0 18.55

Pau Gasol
37.0 .536 .000 .790 0.60 1.70 2.2 11.3 3.4 18.3 22.97
38.4 .529 .000 .816 0.80 1.40 1.7 11.9 4.4 22.7 26.16
He's kicked it up a notch, which is scary.

Roy Hibbert
25.1 .495 .500 .754 0.40 1.60 1.8 5.7 2.0 11.7 16.30
31.3 .466 .000 .838 0.30 3.10 2.9 9.1 3.7 16.1 21.86

Luis Scola
32.6 .514 .200 .779 0.80 0.30 2.0 08.6 2.1 16.2 17.22
34.5 .519 .000 .729 0.80 0.90 1.4 11.1 2.0 21.9 24.04

Steph Curry
 36.2 .462 .437 .885 1.90 0.20 3.0 4.5 5.9 17.5 16.31
 34.3 .496 .385 .862 2.30 0.30 3.7 3.3 6.7 21.0 21.62

Al Horford
35.1 .551 1.000 .789 0.70 1.10 1.5 9.9 2.3 14.2 19.43
30.6 .642 0.000 .767 0.50 0.60 1.4 9.0 3.3 16.3 25.53
This one may seem a little weird, but his absolute numbers are almost identical to last season yet in 5 minutes less per game, hence his efficiency has actually improved dramatically.

Rajon Rondo
36.6 .508 .213 .621 2.30 0.10 3.0 4.4 09.8 13.7 19.18
40.7 .462 .400 .524 3.00 0.20 3.9 5.2 14.9 10.8 20.05
To be honest, I don't see this one. Not yet. Essentially, he's bumped his minutes up a bit, but his turnovers are up and his scoring is down which offsets his marked assist increase. This is evidenced by the fact that his PER hasn't shifted much at all; he's essentially just re-distributed his production while keeping it all the same. And his shooting percentage has fallen. Now, I know, Leadership, intangibles, heart, winning, all that stuff, but, frankly, all of those things are said by the fan bases of all the other players in the whole league; I don't think that they can be fairly applied to Rondo in terms of an improvement over last year, at least in a way that makes up for the fact he has not yet made a major leap overall. Now, if he starts shooting over .500, gets his points up to the 12-14 range while the assists stay where they are and the TO's get down to the sub 3.0 range, that's what he really has to do to be in the running league-wide.

Nice stats!