Fansided

Antetokounmpo, Jokic are the only true candidates for MIP award

By Ananth Pandian

Nov 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) battle for position during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 103-102. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 11, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) battle for position during the second half at Pepsi Center. The Nuggets won 103-102. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

For whatever reason, the NBA’s Most Improved Award seems to be the least glamorous of the end of season accolades. This may because the award usually goes to a player that sees an uptick in minutes or to a young player that was expected to make the leap.

But with that being said, there are three notable players in Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic and Otto Porter, who are vying for the MIP award this season. Porter may be on the outside looking in as both Antetokounmpo and Jokic are the two leading candidates for the award.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

The MIP award is Antetokounmpo’s to lose. He has taken the most noticeable jump, elevating his stellar all-around game to new heights this season by becoming a first time All-Star. But Antetokounmpo wasn’t just an All-Star, he was voted in as a starter, amassing well over 1.5 million votes among fans, making him second to only LeBron James in total votes. And while that may seem surprising, Antetokounmpo is quite deserving of such adulation from the fans.

In his fourth season, essentially all of Antetokounmpo’s numbers have increased from last year. He is averaging 23.1 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.9 blocks in 35.5 minutes a game. Antetokounmpo is also shooting a career-high 52.7 percent and 78.9 percent from the line. Compare these numbers to the previous season, when Antetokounmpo averaged 16.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 blocks and the difference from last year to this, is quite noticeable.

Nikola Jokic

The Nuggets big man is right behind Antetokounmpo when it comes to the MIP. Jokic is the typical candidate for the award, a second year player that has taken the next step on his path to stardom. But that shouldn’t take anything away from Jokic, who has been sensational and given the Nuggets a legitimate franchise player to build around.

A versatile player, Jokic has recorded four triple-doubles this season, a rare feat for most big men. And as evidenced by his triple-doubles Jokic is a smart playmaker and is able to orchestrate Denver’s offense all by himself. All of this is also showcased in Jokic’s overall numbers.

This season Jokic is averaging 16.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 27.1 minutes a game. He is shooting an incredible 58.5 percent and has a nice for a big man from the line, shooting 81.0 percent.  Last season, Jokic averaged 10.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists, so his overall numbers have clearly increased in his sophomore year.

Otto Porter

Antetokounmpo and Jokic are the clear frontrunners for MIP but on the periphery is Porter, who has emerged as a key role player for the Wizards. Porter’s improvement in his fourth season is a big reason why the Wizards are currently third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 41-25.

Porter is one of the better defenders on the Wizards and his 3-point shooting, 45.3 percent which leads the league, is a key component of Washington’s offense. Having Porter being so accurate from long range allows John Wall to be himself, breaking down defenders with his handles and attacking the rim. And if he is deterred at the rim, Wall can kick it out to Porter, who can knock it down from behind the arc.

This season Porter is averaging a career-highs in points (14.1), rebounds (6.6) and steals (1.6). He is playing a career-high 33.8 minutes a game and is shooting 52.3 percent, which is also a career-high. Last season, Porter averaged 11.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 30.3 minutes a game. He shot 47.3 percent and 36.7 percent on 3-pointers.

Next: How does Kawhi Leonard get so many open shots?

Porter has definitely improved and has been excellent this season but overall, he hasn’t made the same kind of jump that Antekounmpo and Jokic has made. The same can be said of other possible MIP candidates like Eric Gordon and Harrison Barnes. All of this makes the MIP award a two-man race between Antekounmpo and Jokic as they have separated themselves from the rest of the field.

Home/NBA