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NBA: 5 candidates for the 2017-18 Most Improved Player of the Year award

By Morgan Dunn

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 22: Brandon Ingram #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives on Anthony Morrow #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center on November 22, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 22: Brandon Ingram #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives on Anthony Morrow #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center on November 22, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 22: Brandon Ingram #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives on Anthony Morrow #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center on November 22, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 22: Brandon Ingram #14 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives on Anthony Morrow #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center on November 22, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

What players look poised to make a run at the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award in the 2017-18 season?

The NBA’s Most Improved Player Award is usually a very interesting race to decipher. Measuring a player’s improvement is a tricky thing to do, and, of course, voters have different preferences and ways to view the criteria for this honor.

Some people want to see a player’s usage and minutes dramatically increase without seeing their efficiency plunge. Others want to vote for a player that makes the legitimate leap into stardom, however one wants to define stardom. Some want to award a young player that takes a major step in his development.

Kevin Love won MIP in 2010-11 when he went from a 14 and 11 guy to a 20 and 15 guy. His playing time increased by more than seven minutes per game, yet his efficiency improved across the board. That’s a great MIP candidate because he checks a lot of the boxes that we look for.

Giannis Antetokounmpo won the award last season when he went from a player oozing potential to a must-watch athletic marvel that consistently boggles the mind. This was another easy choice.

It’s not always so simple to choose the MIP. Ryan Anderson won the award in 2011-12, but his per-36 numbers were nearly identical to the previous season. How much better did Anderson get? Was he simply a player that got more playing time and didn’t really improve all that much?

Bobby Simmons won the award in 2004-05 for basically going from a guy we’d never heard of to a guy playing solid basketball. So what’s the best way to evaluate this award?

As is usually the case, it’s probably best to take a little bit from everyone’s criteria to form the scale on which to measure a player’s improvement. Here are five players that could contend for the Most Improved Player Award in 2017-18.

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