Though none of us have a ballot for the NBA’s official awards, we’ll be presenting our choices and making our cases this week for each major honor.
Kurt Helin
Most Improved Player
1. Goran Dragic, Phoenix Suns
2. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
3. DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
I feel like I should just vote for the Phoenix Suns — Dragic is on top of this list but Gerald Green, Markieff Morris and others could be on this list. Dragic has earned the top spot with how he grew his game and played to the strengths of it, especially when Eric Bledsoe was out. Normally I hate to put second year (or third) year players on this list because dramatic jumps are expected, but Anthony Davis just could not be ignored with the level of leap he made. Chose Cousins over Kyle Lowry for the last slot.
Brett Pollakoff
1. Lance Stephenson, Indiana Pacers
2. Gerald Green, Phoenix Suns
3. DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers
Very tough award considering there are so many variables at play. It typically doesn’t go to a star-level player like Blake Griffin or Kevin Love, even though it could be argued that both have elevated their games substantially. The Suns make it tough because they have the Morris twins, Gerald Green, Miles Plumlee and even Goran Dragic who all deserve consideration. Stephenson has a wild streak to his game for sure, but he’s become a triple-double threat capable of all kinds of consistent production, and despite the team’s recent struggles, Indiana ended up with the top seed in the East. Stephenson’s contributions all season long were a legitimate part of that.
Dan Feldman
1. Terrence Jones, Houston Rockets
2. Miles Plumlee, Phoenix Suns
3. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
Everyone discussing this award has noted how many Suns are contenders, but I have yet to see someone list every viable Phoenix player without overlooking someone. I’m going to try. Gerald Green, Goran Dragic, Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris, Miles Plumee, P.J. Tucker. (Eric Bledsoe didn’t play enough. I didn’t forget about him.) It’s truly incredible how many highly improved players are on one team, but none of them take top billing. Terrence Jones went from a D-League player to a good starting power forward, an underrated one at that, on a top-five NBA team. A year ago, Plumlee didn’t look like he belonged in the league, but he passed his points (13) and rebounds (22) totals for all of last season in just his first two games this season (31 points and 28 rebounds), and he’s remained a solid starting center for the upstart Suns. Anthony Davis took the step toward superstardom we all knew he would, just soon and more rapidly than anyone expected.
