Who is the 2022 NBA's Most Improved Player?


Each season the NBA gives a specific award that rewards a player for their hard work in the off season that translates to vast improvement on the court. Player such as, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, Gilbert Arenas, Jermaine O'Neal, and Tracy McGrady have all been given this award in the past. As a trainer, the Most Improved Player award is one of my favorite awards that can be given, because it shows that anyone can reach their goals with some hard work, and it places an emphasis on climbing up that never ending ladder, which is one of the focal points of success. This season we've seen guys like Jordan Poole, Tyler Herro and Mikal Bridges boost their roles on their teams and increase their scoring load dramatically. We've seen DeMar DeRozan re-impose himself into the top of the league. Young guards like Darius Garland and LaMelo Ball have opened our eyes to the potential they have. But, there are a final four guys that I believe have shown the most improvement this season. Let's take a look.

Ja Morant

To be honest when I first was thinking about this list, Ja's name didn't come to mind, but luckily I did my research. If you've been watching the NBA this season, you're aware of the dominance Ja has been displaying on the court. The man is leading the Grizzlies into what should be an exciting run in the playoffs, and before his injury, he was playing at an MVP level. The third year guard has improved his points per game average by 8.5 points and his FG%, 3P% and FT% by about 40% respectively. Basically, Ja has thrived by increasing his scoring load from 19 points per game to about 27.5. When you combine Ja's individual improvement and his team's improvement, its hard not bet against him.

Dejounte Murray

Dejounte Murray has seen progressive improvement in his game each year since he's been in the NBA, but this year the lanky guard has been going off! Outside of his FT%, Murray has increased every statistical category this season. Also, he may lead his team to what many thought was an unlikely spot in the play-in tournament. Murray is averaging nearly a triple-double, putting up 21 points, 9 assists, 8.5 rebounds, and 2 steals per game. Speaking of steals, he is leading the NBA in steals per game, which is super impressive and another reason he makes the top 4 on this list. Whether he wins or not remains to be seen, but he presents a strong case.

Desmond Bane

It's tough and cool at the same time that both Morant and Bane are making strong cases for the same award, but its also a testament to Memphis' staff and their team's success this season. Bane's breakout season has been huge for the Grizzlies this year. Bane has gone from a solid reserve wing, to one of the best up and coming 2-way players in the NBA. He has increased his scoring average by 9 points, going from 9 points to 18 points per game this season! With Ja Morant being out, Bane averaged 21 points per game in March. This may not be related to this article, but Bane is a guy who I can see even more improvement from in his career. Whether or not Bane wins the MIP award, one thing that is for certain is that if the Memphis Grizzlies can keep their core together, they are going to be good for a very long time.

Anfernee Simons

Although Simons has been sidelined pretty much all of March, he has solidified himself in this conversation in the 57 games he has played this season. In a very disappointing Portland Trailblazers season, Simon's play has been a very encouraging sign of a possible star in the making. Similarly to Bane, Simons has increased his scoring average by 9 points, going from 8 points last season to 17 points per game this season. Also, as he's been spending more time playing point guard this season, Simons has seen his assists per game average increase from 1.5 to 4. Depending on what happens with Damian Lillard next season, we could see another big jump in Anfernee's scoring and all-around performance. We shall see.

Who do y'all think wins the Most Improved Player award this year!?

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