Sheridan Hoops

A better basketball site. For intelligent readers, from veteran writers.
Keep scrolling down. Good stuff here.

  • Home
  • Salaries
    • Atlantic Division Salaries
      • Boston Celtics
      • Brooklyn Nets
      • New York Knicks
      • Philadelphia 76ers
      • Toronto Raptors
    • Central Division Salaries
      • Chicago Bulls
      • Cleveland Cavaliers
      • Detroit Pistons
      • Indiana Pacers
      • Milwaukee Bucks
    • Southeast Division Salaries
      • Atlanta Hawks
      • Charlotte Hornets
      • Miami Heat
      • Orlando Magic
      • Washington Wizards
    • Northwest Division Salaries
      • Denver Nuggets
      • Minnesota TimberWolves
      • Oklahoma City Thunder
      • Portland Trail Blazers
      • Utah Jazz
    • Southwest Division Salaries
      • Dallas Mavericks
      • Houston Rockets
      • Memphis Grizzlies
      • New Orleans Pelicans
      • San Antonio Spurs
    • Pacific Division Salaries
      • Golden State Warriors
      • Los Angeles Clippers
      • Los Angeles Lakers
      • Phoenix Suns
      • Sacramento Kings
  • Columns
    • Chris Sheridan
    • Jan Hubbard
    • Chris Bernucca
    • Shlomo Sprung
    • Michael Scotto
    • Paul Ladewski
    • Pete Newmann
    • James Park
    • Jake Henson
    • Ben DuBose
    • Jon Marks
    • AJ Mitnick
    • Nick Gibson
    • Andrew Crawford
  • Rankings
    • MVP Rankings
    • Rookie Rankings
    • Most Improved Rankings
    • Free Agent Rankings
  • News
    • Latest NBA News
    • Latest Blogs
    • Latest Featured Tweets
    • Latest Featured Photos
    • Power Rankings
    • Archives
  • Video
  • Int’l
    • Euroleague
    • China
    • Olympics
  • 2015 Draft
  • About
    • About This Website
    • Contributors
    • Contact
  • Fantasy
    • Play Fantasy Sports With DraftKings
  • More
    • Podcasts
    • Odds
    • Polls
    • Awards
    • Power Rankings
  • Tickets
    • Atlantic Division
      • Boston Celtics Tickets
      • Brooklyn Nets Tickets
      • New York Knicks Tickets
      • Philadelphia 76ers Tickets
      • Toronto Raptors Tickets
    • Central Division
      • Chicago Bulls Tickets
      • Cleveland Cavaliers Tickets
      • Detroit Pistons Tickets
      • Indiana Pacers Tickets
      • Milwaukee Bucks Tickets
    • Southeast Division
      • Atlanta Hawks Tickets
      • Charlotte Hornets Tickets
      • Miami Heat Tickets
      • Orlando Magic Tickets
      • Washington Wizards Tickets
    • Northwest Division
      • Denver Nuggets Tickets
      • Oklahoma City Thunder Tickets
      • Portland Trailblazers Tickets
      • Utah Jazz Tickets
      • Minnesota Timberwolves Tickets
    • Southwest Division
      • Dallas Mavericks Tickets
      • Houston Rockets Tickets
      • Memphis Grizzlies Tickets
      • New Orleans Pelicans Tickets
      • San Antonio Spurs Tickets
    • Pacific Division
      • Golden State Warriors Tickets
      • Los Angeles Clippers Tickets
      • Los Angeles Lakers Tickets
      • Phoenix Suns Tickets
      • Sacramento Kings Tickets

Hubbard: Rethinking the Most Improved Player Award: Is Curry Deserving?

April 6, 2016 by Jan Hubbard

HubbardPervis EllisonThe Most Improved Player Award did not irritate me until the seventh year it was awarded. That was in the 1991-92 season when Pervis Ellison won it. Three years earlier, Ellison was the No. 1 pick in the draft. To reward him as the most improved because he played well after underachieving for two years seemed to violate the spirit of the award. He was supposed to be good!

In his defense, Ellison was bothered by injuries, but while he was playing, the Sacramento Kings – who had selected him with the first pick – must have not liked what they saw. Ellison missed 48 games with injuries as a rookie. After only one year in Sacramento, the Kings traded him to Washington, where he was used primarily as a backup in his first season, averaging 10.4 points and 7.7 rebounds.

Ellison then had his breakout season, averaging 20 points and 11.2 rebounds and that’s what got him the award.

But, frankly, at the time I thought it was lazy thinking and a lazy vote. Players who are selected with top picks in the draft should not be considered for the award when they play like they are supposed to play, even if it takes them a few years to do it.

My position softened a few years ago, however. I was having a discussion with a friend who said, “So you are telling me that if Hasheem Thabeet averages 20 and 10, people shouldn’t vote for him?”

Well … good point. Thabeet was taken by Memphis with the second pick in the 2009 draft – one pick ahead of James Harden and five ahead of Stephen Curry.

Thabeet played for four teams in five seasons, the last with Oklahoma City in 2014. He was on the roster of two other teams but was waived without playing a game. He spent quality time with those awesome Dakota Wizards and Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the D-League. In his 224-game NBA career, he managed to score 483 points and grab 595 rebounds.

So the answer is yes. If Thabeet finds a job in the NBA and becomes a great player, I will campaign for him as the Most Improved Player. It wasn’t his fault that he was taken No. 2. That goofy decision was made by Memphis Grizzlies executives.

Curry-PopcornAnd that, like everything else in the basketball world right now, brings us to Curry, whose encore to his MVP season has been sensational – so much so that some have suggested he deserves the MIP award.

On the surface, that seems silly. There is no doubt that even the MVP can get better. But shouldn’t the award be for a player who makes a surprising improvement rather than one who has simply refined the considerable skills he’s already shown?

My idea of the perfect MIP is Darrell Armstrong, who was undrafted but managed to earn a roster spot with the Orlando Magic. His development was gradual, but in his fifth season in 1998-99, he was not only the MIP but also won the Sixth Man Award.

Armstrong is the only undrafted player to win the award, which also has been won by seven players selected in the second round of their respective drafts. The other 22 winners were first-round selections, and nine of those players were selected in the top 10 of the draft. Three were even selected in the top five.

The issue is likely moot this year because of the play of Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum. When Wes Matthews signed with the Dallas Mavericks in the offseason, McCollum became a starter, and his improvement has been pronounced. His scoring average increased from 6.8 last season to 20.7 this season.

Part of that was playing time; he averaged 15.7 minutes last season and 34.8 this season. But the playing time is a reflection of how he has produced. Had he not played well, he would not have been on the floor.

CJ McCollumNitpickers will point out that McCollum was taken with the 10th pick in the first round of the 2013 draft, so perhaps he underachieved his first two years. Then again, I could point out that 2013 was the Anthony Bennett draft. Four of the top five players picked in that draft have career averages in single digits. In a stronger draft, McCollum might have been taken later than 10th.

Then again, maybe I am being too rigid in defining the award. Last season, Chicago’s Jimmy Butler deservedly won the award. He improved in almost all categories, but to focus solely on scoring, his average increased from 13.1 the previous season to 20.

Goran Dragic, the 2013-14 winner, had a similar increase – 14.7 to 20.3. And Paul George, the 2012-13 winner, improved from 12.1 to 17.4. Like Butler, they improved in other categories. But scoring is obviously important, and each player elevated his production.

Which brings us back to Curry. Yes, he was MVP last year, but he has increased his scoring average from 23.8 to 30.1. That’s almost seven points.

His field goal percentage is better – .506 this season; .487 last.

His 3-point percentage is better – .443 to .459.

His assists have decreased slightly, but he still ranks 10th in the league with 6.5  per game.

His free-throw percentage has decreased slightly to .903, but he is still second in the league.

Larry Bird 1985 NBA PlayoffsCurry is set to become only the seventh player in history to make 50 percent of his field goals, 40 percent of his 3-pointers and 90 percent of his foul shots while shooting enough to qualify for the lead in each category. The others are Larry Bird, Reggie Miller, Dirk Nowitzki, Kevin Durant, Steve Nash and Mark Price. (And Durant is on pace to do it again).

He also has shattered his own record for 3-pointers. He should pass 400 before the season ends. The record he set last year was 286.

So if you are objective and look at the big picture, Curry’s numbers have increased as impressively as many other MIP award winners. And there is little doubt of the impact of those numbers. Just check Golden State’s record.

It also occurs to me that the draft is only two rounds and not that many undrafted players make rosters. When they do, they are usually role players.

Stephen CurrySo somebody has got to win the award, and if a first-round pick struggles – no matter where he was chosen – isn’t he still deserving? If a great player like Curry produces statistics that are competitive with lesser players, shouldn’t he be considered for the award?

I no longer vote, but if I did, I would vote for McCollum this season. In a major change, however, if Curry gets votes or even wins it, I have no problem with it. So I guess my viewpoint on the MIP award has changed.

But one thing has not – I was still right about Pervis Ellison.

CHECK OUT OUR LATEST MIP RANKINGS FROM KELS DAYTON

Jan Hubbard has written about basketball since 1976 and worked in the NBA league office for eight years between media stints. Follow him on Twitter at @whyhub.

MORE FROM HUBBARD:

DUNCAN AND DIRK: A TALE OF TWO FORWARDS
DUNCAN SITS BUT SPURS ROCK AND ROLL
NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE SPURS ARE A SURPRISE
WARRIORS ALSO LEADING THE LEAGUE IN OVERREACTION
CURRY’S HISTORICAL IMPACT IS UNIQUE
KOBE UNDERESTIMATED US, BUT WE NEVER UNDERESTIMATED HIM
SLAM DUNK CRITICS ARE SILENT FOR NOW
REFLECTIONS ON PHIL AND KOBE .. AND THEIR DIFFERING PATHS
COACH FIRINGS PROVIDE HOPE FOR DAVID BLATT

Filed Under: Columns, Hubbard, NBA Tagged With: awards, C.J. McCollum, Darrell Armstrong, Dirk Nowitzki, Golden State Warriors, Goran Dragic, Hasheem Thabeet, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant, Larry Bird, Mark Price, MIP, Most Improved Player, NBA, Paul George, Pervis Ellison, Portland Trail Blazers, Reggie Miller, Stephen Curry, Steve Nash

Follow on Twitter

Chris Sheridan

SheridanHoops.com is Closing Down

With a mix of sadness and pride, I am shuttering SheridanHoops.com -- the Web Site I founded in 2011 a [...]

  • Sheridan: My Season-Ending Awards Ballot
  • MVP Rankings, Edition IX: Curry Wins … in NCAAs
  • Three-Man Weave: Will Warriors Break Bulls’ Record?
  • Sheridan: Obsession Over LeBron’s Twitter Unfollow Disses Raptors
More from this author
Follow on Twitter

Chris Bernucca

Bernucca: Which Warriors Get Our Season-Ending Awards?

The Golden State Warriors are about to complete the best regular season in NBA history. The Warriors [...]

  • Bernucca: Here’s how Bryan Colangelo can clean up Sam Hinkie’s Mess in Philly
  • Bernucca: For Some Teams, Playoffs Have Already Started
  • Rookie Rankings, Edition 6: Should the Lakers Trade D’Angelo Russell?
  • Bernucca: This Week Will Reveal if Bulls Have Quit
More from this author

Pete Newmann

The mismatch of Shaun Livingston

Shaun Livingston has quietly become one of the most efficient guards and possibly the best backup a [...]

  • Celebrating Steve Nash
  • The sinking Suns
  • The Magic’s Nightmare January
  • The reason for the Raptors win streak
More from this author
Follow on Twitter

Jan Hubbard

Hubbard: If Tired, Perhaps Warriors Can Find Their Inner Wilt

When I read about the issue of resting players in preparation for the playoffs, it reminded me that I a [...]

  • Hubbard: Rethinking the Most Improved Player Award: Is Curry Deserving?
  • Hubbard: Duncan and Dirk: A Tale of Two Forwards
More from this author

Michael Scotto

Scotto: Durant to Wizards Unlikely; Wittman and Grunfeld Imperiled

Remember when a potential homecoming for Kevin Durant with the Washington Wizards was the buzz around [...]

  • Scotto: NCAA Tournament NBA Draft Stock Watch
  • Scotto: Big East Tournament NBA Draft Stock Watch
More from this author

Bobby Gonzalez

Mock Draft 1.0 — Gonzo Ranks the Top 14

This is the time of the year for the earliest Mock Drafts, and I am subbing myself in for our regular I [...]

  • Gonzo: Top 10 Hidden Gems in 2016 NBA Draft
More from this author

Shlomo Sprung

Sprung: Raptors Players Analyze Potential Playoff Showdown With Cavs

While the Golden State Warriors chase their 73rd win and fans and pundits around the NBA fantasize a or [...]

  • The 10 Most Important NBA Questions Over The Season’s Final 10 Days
  • Sprung: Hornets’ Al Jefferson, Like Other Big Men, Adapts To Changing Times
  • Sprung: Introducing The NBA All-Loser Teams
More from this author

Kels Dayton

Why Will Barton of Nuggets should win Sixth Man Award

It's the final edition of the Sixth Man Award Rankings, and we know that fans out there are going to be [...]

  • Why Stephen Curry should win the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award
More from this author

Jake Henson

Gambling Guru: Miami on Joe time, recent ATS analysis and props to Lillard

Welcome back for the first post All-Star break edition of the Gambling Guru column Speaking of was I [...]

  • Gambling Guru: ATS Surprises, NBA Finals Prediction, Harden Back in MVP Zone
More from this author
Follow on Twitter

Jon Marks

Marks: Larry Brown’s Forgettable, Sad 2015

PHILADELPHIA—No one will probably be happier than Larry Brown when the calendar flips to 2016 in a of [...]

  • Marks: Miracle Worker Colangelo Has His Biggest Test With Sixers
More from this author
Follow on Twitter

James Park

No posts found.

More from this author
Follow on Twitter

Kent Williams

Fantasy Spin: Update From FIBA Americas & NBA Sleepers

The first round of the FIBA Americas tournament was like a four-game warmup to eliminate the worst in [...]

More from this author

Recent Posts

  • Blockchain-Technologie
  • Emoni Bates Wins High School Player Of The Year Award
  • 10 worst decisions made by NBA players
  • Canadian basketball and sport betting
  • Guide to sign up for offers for slots

Categories

Archives

Return to top of page
© 2023 SheridanHoops LLC.
All Rights Reserved

Contact
Design by ElevateMedia