NBA Awards Watch: The Budenholzer-Kerr conundrum

Most Improved Player

1. Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz – The “normal” improvements that a player makes from their rookie to sophomore campaigns shouldn’t be enough to qualify them for MIP consideration. However, Gobert’s ascension has been anything but normal. The 7-footer was seen as a fringe piece during his rookie season when he averaged just 9.6 minutes per contest, but Gobert has exploded into a legitimate defensive player of the year candidate overnight, and his offense (61.4% FG) has been a nice surprise. The 22-year-old is already the NBA’s best shot blocker, and his improvement under Quin Snyder has been rapid and impressive.
2. Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls – Butler has missed the last eight games as a result of an elbow injury, and that is almost certainly going to affect his candidacy here. However, the Bulls swingman has made a significant leap this season, especially on the offensive end. Butler went from a 39.7% shooter who averaged 13.1 points per game a year ago to a 46.2% shooter who averages more than 20 points per game this season, and he made the switch without losing his elite status defensively. Tom Thibodeau isn’t kind to Butler’s body by deploying him for a league-leading 38.9 minutes per game, but Butler has been tremendous this season.
3. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors – Thompson has scored 25 points or more in four straight games, and that drives the point home about his considerable growth. A year ago, Thompson would have floated in and out of stardom on a nightly basis, largely because he needed others to create for him. This season, the 25-year-old is able to create for himself, and that is sparked a sharp improvement in efficiency (20.68 PER), scoring (21.9 points per game) and even assists (2.9 per game, up from 2.2). Klay Thompson is being overlooked because he was already an above-average player in 2013-2014, but the jump from good to great is an important one, and he has made it.

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