Tag: most improved player

Tyrese Maxey beats out Alperen Sengun for NBA’s Most Improved Player award

76ers guard Tyrese Maxey beat out Rockets center Alperen Sengun and Bulls guard Coby White in voting for the NBA’s 2023-24 Most Improved Player award.

Alperen Sengun was one of three finalists for the NBA’s 2023-24 Most Improved Player award, joining Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey and Chicago Bulls guard Coby White.

But as announced Tuesday, the third-year Houston Rockets center was not the award’s winner. That honor went to Maxey, whose Sixers (47-35) are currently participating in the 2024 playoffs.

Sengun’s season ended prematurely on March 10, when he suffered a severe ankle sprain. Between his ensuing 18-game absence and Houston (41-41) missing out on postseason play in the Western Conference, that made it tough for Sengun to earn an outright win — and particularly versus Maxey, whose team had a higher profile.

Nonetheless, it was still an outstanding season for the 21-year-old Turkish big man, who remains one of the organizational focal points for the Rockets as they move forward. On a per-game average basis, Sengun led Houston in scoring (21.1 points) and rebounds (9.3) while shooting 53.7%, a team-high among rotation players.

Sengun will again slide in as Houston’s starting center when 2024-25 training camps open in late September or early October.

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Rockets star Alperen Sengun named Most Improved Player finalist by NBA

Houston’s Alperen Sengun, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, and Chicago’s Coby White are the NBA’s Most Improved Player finalists this season.

Despite his 2023-24 season ending early due to a March 10 ankle injury, third-year center Alperen Sengun showed enough during the preceding 63 games with the Houston Rockets to be one of three finalists for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.

On a per-game average basis, the 21-year-old Turkish big man led the Rockets in scoring (21.1 points) and rebounds (9.3) while shooting 53.7%, a team-high among rotation players.

That was enough for Sengun to earn All-Star consideration earlier this year, and it makes him a finalists for one of the league’s prestigious annual awards. Other finalists are Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey and Chicago Bulls guard Coby White.

The NBA’s latest criteria calls for players to participate in at least 65 games to be eligible for its awards. However, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton recently noted a potential exception to that rule:

Sengun will only be eligible if an independent doctor rules he will be unable to play through May 31 due to the injury that ended his regular season two games shy of the 65-game minimum.

It appears that was the case. The winners of the awards will be announced at a later date during the league’s 2024 playoffs.

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Chicago’s Coby White projected to win NBA’s 2024 Most Improved Player award

The folks voting for the NBA’s 2024 Most Improved Player award cut out for them.

With players like Philadelphia 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey, Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams, and wing Jalen Suggs of the Orlando Magic all having such good seasons, the folks voting for the NBA’s 2024 Most Improved Player award cut out for them.

But at least for the folks behind the panel at Bleacher Report’s end of season awards projections, when it comes to their pick, it is Chicago Bulls floor general Coby White. “The 24-year-old started 78 games, almost doubling his output of 19.1 points and 5.1 assists, with a jump from 23.4 to 36.5 minutes per game,” writes Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus.

“Injuries have Chicago in the play-in, but they wouldn’t be there without White—at what is now a discount price for two more seasons.”

“Maxey may be the favorite to win the award off a tremendous season, but he was already quite good last year,” he adds. ” White’s jump from ‘just a guy’ to starting guard, averaging almost 20 points per game, was more impressive.”

That may be the most concise argument we have seen in favor of a White nod for this award, and while it is close enough that we would not begrudge a Maxey victory, we tend to agree with Pincus on this one.

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Coby White falling in Most Improved Player race in recent rankings

In a recent Most Improved Player award rankings, Chicago Bulls guard Coby White dropped into second place.

As the Chicago Bulls have played their way to a middle-of-the-pack record for another season, fans have been begging the front office to rebuild. Yet for the third straight year, the Bulls decided to stand pat and do nothing at the trade deadline, leaving fans to root for the same guys for another straight year. Luckily, Coby White has given them something extra to be excited about.

White has emerged as a legitimate star this season for the Bulls, something fans have been yearning for since he was drafted. With Zach LaVine injured, he’s had a chance to take on a larger role, and he’s been in the Most Improved Player conversation.

However, in Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report’s recent rankings, White fell to second in the MIP race, giving way to Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams.

“White’s strides are real. He looks like a legitimate starter who can impact the game on both ends, which wasn’t the case a year ago,” Hughes wrote. “But much like the leap from 50 wins to 60 wins is tougher in a team context than the climb from 40 to 50, we need to acknowledge that Williams’ jump is at a higher elevation than White’s.”

White has a real shot to win the award, but there are some other guys who could overtake him if he continues to slump.

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Why Ayo Dosunmu is making a legitimate case for the NBA’s 2024 Most Improved Player award

Dosunmu is making a quiet, legitimate case for MIP.

For much of the Chicago Bulls‘ 2023-24 campaign, injuries and a deep funk derailed what was hoped to be a big season for the Bulls. But then some internal development opened up by some of those injuries put a silver lining on an otherwise lost season, with backup point guard Coby White getting the lion’s share of the attention.

But almost imperceptibly, reserve guard Ayo Dosunmu is making a quiet, legitimate case for the NBA’s 2024 Most Improved Player award, at least according to some analysts of the league. And among those analysts can be counted the folks behind the “Bulls Central” YouTube channel come down on the side of Dosunmu being in the Most Improved Player mix.

That a second-round pick might even be mentioned in such a conversation while still on their rookie deal.

Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear their case on why it is Dosunmu over White for Most Improved Player this season.

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Why Coby White is about to be robbed for the NBA’s 2024 Most Improved Player award

The Bulls floor general will be up against some very steep competition for the award.

Breakout Chicago Bulls guard Coby White likely deserves the NBA’s 2024 Most Improved Player award more than any other player in the league, but he may get passed over for it just the same. The Bulls guard has done everything imaginable to capitalize on the opportunity opened up by the foot injury sidelining star guard Zach LaVine.

And while that may have added a silver lining to Chicago’s otherwise lost season, and some hope for the future, not all NBA analysts think that White is a lock to take home this year’s Most Improved Player award. With players like Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers and Derrick White of the Boston Celtics in the mix, the Bulls floor general will be up against some very steep competition for the award.

The host of the “Chicago Bulls Central” podcast, Haize, broke down the situation on a recent episode.

Check it out in the clip embedded above!

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Trent McDuffie named Chiefs’ most improved player by Pro Football Focus

DB Trent McDuffie was named the #Chiefs’ most improved player by Pro Football Focus this week ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.

The Kansas City Chiefs’ success in 2023 was defined by the progression of their young defense, led by young talent acquired through the NFL draft in recent years.

Among the unit’s most productive members were 2022 first-round picks George Karlaftis and Trent McDuffie, who bolstered Kansas City’s pass rush and secondary respectively.

While Karlaftis’ efforts were enough to secure him a top spot on the Chiefs’ regular season sack leaderboard, McDuffie’s performance in 2023 turned the heads of the experts at Pro Football Focus who named the second-year defensive back Kansas City’s most improved player.

McDuffie has been worth every bit of the 21st overall selection the Chiefs spent on him. Without his stellar play against opposing receivers, Kansas City’s defense wouldn’t have been able to put together such a dominant campaign in 2023.

Expect the 23-year-old to continue growing in Steve Spagnuolo’s system as he endeavors to help the Chiefs earn their second-straight Lombardi Trophy against the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII.

NBA summer forecast: Where ESPN ranks potential Rockets’ awards winners

#Rockets prospects Jabari Smith Jr. and Jalen Green each received NBA Most Improved Player votes from ESPN’s summer forecast panel, while Amen Thompson drew Rookie of the Year buzz.

Each year, ESPN asks the many members of its summer forecast media panel to rank their top three choices for the NBA’s six major awards. These involve a first-place vote earning five points, a second-place vote receiving three and a third-place vote receiving one.

The awards debated for the 2023-24 season are Most Valuable Player (MVP), Rookie of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Most Improved Player and Coach of the Year.

As Houston enters what it hopes is Phase 2 of its franchise rebuild, the Rockets are still a relatively young team. Thus, expectations for team success remain fairly minimal, at least from the outside.

But during this three-year run of prolonged losing, the Rockets accumulated some high draft picks. With that comes expectations for improvement as the years progress. Thus, Jalen Green (No. 2 pick in the 2021 first round) and Jabari Smith Jr. (No. 3 in 2022) each earned Most Improved Player votes. Smith drew particular interest after a brilliant 2023 summer league.

Here’s a look at the categories where Houston received votes.

Jabari Smith Jr. aiming to win NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2023-24

“Just impact winning,” Jabari Smith Jr. says of his personal goal for next season. “That’s my biggest thing. Whether it’s averaging 10 points or averaging 20, I just want to affect winning.” #Rockets

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For Jabari Smith Jr., the No. 3 pick in the 2022 NBA draft by the Houston Rockets, his 2022-23 rookie season wasn’t all he envisioned. While Smith earned All-Rookie second-team honors, the projected sharpshooter out of Auburn connected on just 40.8% of his overall shots and 30.7% from 3-point range.

His 2023-24 league year, however, is already off to a much better start after a scintillating performance at the NBA’s 2023 summer league. Now, as Smith and the Rockets prepare to start training camp in early October, he has higher goals ahead for the new season.

On a new episode of “The Bradeaux & Will Show,” Smith was asked about his personal goals for the upcoming season. He responded:

Just be the most consistent, everyday guy that I can be. Go in to every game with the same mentality. Don’t change.

Just impact winning. That’s my biggest thing. Whether it’s averaging 10 points or averaging 20, I just want to affect winning. I definitely want to strive to win Most Improved Player. I’ve been working so hard this summer, why wouldn’t I try to go get that?

If I have that success, I know our team will have that success. Making the playoffs, play-in, or whatever. Just being in the postseason. That’s my goal, ultimately.

That consistency was on full display during Smith’s brilliant stint in Las Vegas. In two games with the summer Rockets — both wins — Smith averaged 35.5 points (48.8% FG, 33.3% on 3-pointers), 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 32.2 minutes per game.

Now, the challenge becomes translating that type of showing from summer league to real games against full-strength NBA rosters.

The complete podcast interview can be listened to below.

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PFF names DE Carl Granderson the Saints’ most-improved player in 2022

Pro Football Focus names defensive end Carl Granderson the New Orleans Saints’ most-improved player in 2022, having raised his player grade by 17 points:

Who would you say was the New Orleans Saints’ most-improved player in 2022? Our pick went to right guard Cesar Ruiz, who finally began to look like a former first-round pick under tutelage of his new position coach Doug Marrone. Another choice would be tight end Juwan Johnson, who broke out to lead the team with seven touchdown receptions.

But here’s another suggestion from Pro Football Focus analyst Gordon McGuinness. After posting a league-average grade of 63.2 in 2021, defensive end Carl Granderson improved to an impressive 80.4 player grade for the 2022 season. McGuinness shared some insight on that leap in performance and what makes Granderson the Saints’ most-improved player:

“An undrafted free agent out of Wyoming in 2019, Granderson had a monster year against the run, with his 84.4 PFF run-defense grade the second-highest mark among all edge defenders in the NFL. Eight of his 22 pressures were sacks, and he registered 34 tackles resulting in a defensive stop.”

Granderson finished the year as the starting defensive end opposite Cameron Jordan, playing ahead of two recent first-round draft picks in Marcus Davenport and Payton Turner down the stretch. While his stronger numbers as a pass rusher are what’s driving his improved defensive rating, Granderson is also holding up better against the run than we saw early in his career. He’s worked hard to bulk up and adjust to the NFL, and that diligence is paying off.

Now he enters the 2023 offseason as, on paper, a defensive starter. Whether he’ll retain that status remains to be seen. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Saints invest another high draft pick in the position should Davenport leave in free agency or if the coaching staff is pessimistic on Turner’s growth; like many teams, they rotate their pass rushers often through games, so it’s better to have multiple viable players in the group.

Another interesting note: Granderson signed a two-year extension last year rather than a typical one-year contract for an exclusive rights free agent, which means he’s on track to reach unrestricted free agency in 2024. That was a sign of the team’s belief in his career trajectory and it also helps keep some stability at defensive end going into 2023. In addition to Davenport, Tanoh Kpassagnon is a backup headed for free agency. Knowing Granderson is under contract makes losing one (or both) of those players a little more acceptable.

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