Fansided

NBA Awards Watch: The wizardry of Mike Budenholzer

By Brad Rowland

Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer talks to guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer talks to guard Dennis Schroder (17) during the first quarter against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 7
Next
Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) controls a pass in front of Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) and forward DeMarre Carroll (5) during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) controls a pass in front of Atlanta Hawks guard Jeff Teague (0) and forward DeMarre Carroll (5) during the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports /

Most Improved Player

  1. Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls – The fact that Jimmy Butler has arguably been the best player on the Chicago Bulls this season is insane. A year ago, Butler shot 39.7% from the floor and 28.3% from three on the way to a solid but unspectacular overall season, but this year, the talented swingman has seen a vast uptick to 46.6% from the floor and more than 33% from three.  That improvement has facilitated a massive overall jump in production, and Butler is putting up 21.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while remaining Chicago’s best perimeter defender. He’s an unquestioned all-star, and that is a huge thing to say.
  2. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors – The gap in perception surrounding Klay Thompson after last season was significant. Many saw him as a legitimate “star”, essentially because he commanded max-level money and was rumored to be the cost to acquire Kevin Love, but in reality, Thompson was a solidly above-average shooting guard with some defined weaknesses. Now, he’s a full-blown monster who has jumped into the elite class at his position. Thompson is averaging 25.8 points per game in January (admittedly a small sample), and at 24 years old, he has posted season averages of 21.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. If we’re nitpicking, his creation for teammates is his weakness, but Thompson is an elite shooter (43.9% from three) who has made the leap.
  3. Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks – Teague is the offensive engine for the scorching-hot Hawks, and he has really come into his own as a player. The 26-year-old point guard is currently posting career-highs in scoring (17.4 points), assists (7.2 per game), field goal percentage (48.2%), true shooting percentage (59.7%) and PER (22.82), and that tells a lot of the story. More than that, though, Teague is now playing defense at a solid level for the first time in his career, and his maturity under the tutelage of Mike Budenholzer has been impressive.

Next: 6th Man of the Year

Home/Atlanta Hawks