NBA Awards Watch: The Final Ballot

Most Improved Player

1. Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls – To be honest, this award was locked up a long time ago. Jimmy Butler is the quintessential MIP candidate in that he took a measurable leap across the board while not slipping in any single aspect. Butler was already a high-end defender during the first part of his career in Chicago, but this season, the offense finally caught up, as Butler jumped from 40% FG and 28% 3-PT a year ago to 46% FG and 37% 3-PT this season. That allowed the former Marquette swingman to ascend to the point where he is a 20-point scorer in the NBA, and given that his defense still operates at a big-time level, he is a real star in the NBA at the age of 25. It will be very interesting to see what the future holds for Jimmy Butler, namely in whether he stays with the Bulls, but an argument exists that he is a max-level player, and that wasn’t the case prior to this season. This should be a runaway.
2. Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors – Much like Butler, Thompson’s claim to this award comes in making a leap from “very good” to “exceptional”. Much of the hype surrounding Steph Curry’s running partner was overstated a year ago, as Thompson basically served as a glorified “3-and-D” player, but this season, the improvement has been startling. Thompson has improved his efficiency across the board, jumping from a 14.3 PER to a 20.6 PER on the strength of 58.8% true shooting and 24.3 points per 36 minutes. The biggest change in Thompson’s game has come in his ability to create his own offense, facilitating that jump in scoring while also drawing the attention of the defense to allow a bump in assists. There is no question that Klay Thompson is an elite shooting guard, and that simply wasn’t the case 12 months ago.
3. Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz – The comparisons between Thompson and Hayward in terms of MIP candidacy are jarring. Both players received their contracts before this season ever began, but just like Thompson before him, Hayward has ascended to meet the level of his financial profile. Utah has been one of the league’s best teams since the All-Star break, and while much of that damage has been done defensively, Hayward carries the team’s weight on offense. His usage rate has exceeded 26% for the first time in his NBA career, but Hayward has posted a 20.2 PER while nearly posting a 20-5-5 season, and he has proven worthy of go-to-guy status with the Jazz. Quin Snyder should be commended for his work in opening up Hayward’s game offensively, but the massive offer sheet Utah elected to match on Hayward now looks like a bargain in retrospect.

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