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NBA: Predicting 2019-20 individual award winners

By Jamie Campbell

NBA Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
NBA Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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Most Improved Player (MIP)

Jamie’s pick: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat

Going into a season, there is always a long list of players who could potentially break out and make a huge step forward in their development and this often makes MIP the most difficult of the NBA awards to predict but I’m going with Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat.

With the Heat trading away Hassan Whiteside this summer, Bam is set to become the team’s full-time starting center. As a starter at the end of last season, he put up 11.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.0 blocks per game in 22 contests.

Now, with the apparent strides he’s made in his game over the offseason, we should be expecting a stat line somewhere in the range of 15-16 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, one steal and 1.5 blocks a night, showcasing a vastly expanded offensive game and impressive versatility for a big man.

Versatility is the name of the game in the modern NBA for big men and Bam could be the key for Miami maybe making a mini-run come playoff time.

Other guys who will be in the running and what it will take for them to win MIP:

  • Ben Simmons – Adding a jump shot takes Simmons’ game from all-star to all-NBA level.
  • Jonathan Issac – Continues to show improvements with his offense and confidence while further establishing himself as an elite wing defender.
  • Lonzo Ball – A new shooting form and a new team proves to be all Lonzo needs to have a breakout season and begin living up to his potential.
  • Jayson Taytum – Shows more comfort as a go-to scorer while also thriving as a cog in the Brad Stevens-Kemba Walker offense and breaks the 20 ppg threshold.
  • Caris LeVert – Now fully healthy and with no KD, LeVert manages to have the breakout season we thought we were getting a year ago as the second scoring option for the Nets.
  • Kelly Oubre Jr. – Carries the momentum from the end of last year into this season and has a true breakout season as the third option for the Suns.
  • Domantas Sabonis or Myles Turner – One of these guys takes the next step offensively and becomes a borderline all-star for the third-best team in the eastern conference.
  • Markelle Fultz – Becomes the Magic’s new starting point guard and begins living up to the hype of being the number one overall pick.