Season leaps: This is where players have improved the most this year

Before he signed with the Detroit Pistons, no one would have ever expected Jerami Grant to be so good at creating for himself.

Every year, it is fascinating to track the incredible progress that players around the league have made during their most recent offseason.

Considering that the NBA is home to some of the best athletes in the world, it’s always remarkable to see how these world-class find ways to get better and develop their games.

The league clearly loves it, too, and celebrated these accomplishments by introducing the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award (MIP) back in 1985.

Earlier this season, we have written about the impressive strides we have seen from 2020-21 MIP candidates Julius Randle (playmaking) and Jordan Clarkson (shot selection and efficiency) thus far. We have also highlighted the most improved players on each team, including first-time All-Stars Zach LaVine and Jaylen Brown.

But we wanted to highlight some of the ways that certain individuals have gotten better at distinct elements of their game since last season as well.