NBA Awards Watch: The Case for Chris Paul

Most Improved Player

1. Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls – The “Most Improved Player” award is odd, simply because it involves weighing this season against last season for the entirety of the campaign. With that, there shouldn’t be the peaks and valleys associated with the other award races (given that one of the comparisons is static), and if we remember that, Jimmy Butler has to be the choice. A year ago, Butler was a defensive specialist who struggled wildly with his shot (39.7% FG, 28.3% 3-PT), but he is now a two-way stud who averages more than 20 points per game on a top-four seed in the East. Leaps such as this don’t come around often, and Butler is a budding star whether he is seen as one or not.
2. Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz – At 25, Gordon Hayward is now playing up his contract. The former Butler star signed a four-year, $63 million contract prior to the season, and he responded with the best year of his career, effectively averaging 20-5-5 with a PER north of 20. This was an encouraging response from Hayward, who struggled mightily as the number one option in 2013-2014, and his development has been visible from an efficiency and reliability standpoint. The jury is out on whether Gordon Hayward can be a “go-to” guy for a playoff team, but he has carried the load nicely as Utah has improved in the second half.
3. Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors – As a 23-year-old “sophomore”, there were glimpses of greatness from Green in 2013-2014, but those glimpses are now seen on a regular basis. Green makes his money on the defensive end, where he is one of the best in the business, but growth as a two-player lands him here. Green is posting career-bests in true shooting (53.6%), scoring (13.3 points per game) and PER (16.2), and he is now a match-up nightmare for the opposition. The scary thing is that Draymond Green may have more growing to do, but his improvement from year to year earns the nod.

Next: 6th Man of the Year