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NBA Awards Watch: The Anthony Davis Show

By Brad Rowland

New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Utah Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward (20) controls the ball against New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. The Jazz defeated the Knicks 102-100. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Utah Jazz small forward Gordon Hayward (20) controls the ball against New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. The Jazz defeated the Knicks 102-100. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Most Improved Player

  1. Gordon Hayward, SG/SF Utah Jazz – Hayward continues to be a revelation in leading a respectable Jazz team, and in posting a top-15 PER league-wide, he has been leaps and bounds better than during the 2013-2014 season. It is reasonable to think that Hayward’s 61.5% true shooting percentage will regress a bit, but under Quin Snyder, he looks far more comfortable in the offense and you can see visible improvement.
  2. Klay Thompson, SG Golden State Warriors – There was a ton of buzz about Thompson after last season, as that is what happens with high-profile contract negotiations, but he has followed up on that with a breakout campaign through the first handful of weeks. Thompson has seen his PER jump from less than 15 (league-average) last season to 22.85 right now, and he ranks among the top-20 in the league in both PER and Win Shares. There is an argument that he used to be a “one-dimensional” shooter to some degree, but his offensive game has expanded greatly and that is the impetus for the nod here.
  3. Dennis Schröder, PG Atlanta Hawks – The former first round pick was flatly awful at times as a rookie in 2013-2014, posting a 5.81 PER with a 44.2% clip in true shooting. More than that, though, it was impossible for Mike Budenholzer to keep him on the floor, but this season, Schröder has claimed the backup point guard duties and continued to post a top-25 PER in the NBA.

Next: 6th Man of the Year

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