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NBA Award Watch: Russell Westbrook is on fire

By John Buhler

Nov 30, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after a play against the Washington Wizards during overtime at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts after a play against the Washington Wizards during overtime at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 25, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the game against Toronto Raptors at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Toronto won 105-99. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the game against Toronto Raptors at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Toronto won 105-99. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

Most Improved Player: Milwaukee Bucks SF Giannis Antetokounmpo

It doesn’t matter if you can’t spell his name or struggle to pronounce it correctly, do your job and figure it out because Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is amazing. Best known as the Greek Freak and is some small circles the Alphabet?, Antetokounmpo is rapidly becoming a top 15 player in the NBA.

Antetokounmpo is averaging 22.8 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game in his first 16 contests for the 2016-17 Bucks. He is improving as a shooter. Not from distance, he’s an atrocious 20.6 percent from three, but he’s of that DeMar DeRozan two-point efficiency style. Antetokounmpo is shooting 57.5 percent from inside the arc.

It’s not just improvements on offense that make Antetokounmpo the front-runner for Most Improved Players, he is becoming a defensive dynamo for head coach Jason Kidd in Milwaukee. He is averaging 2.1 blocks and 2.1 steals per game.

This gives Antetokounmpo a career-best 26.3 PER and an incredible Box Plus-Minus of 8.8. Interestingly, he is balanced with a mark of 4.4 in both Offensive Box Plus-Minus and Defensive Box Plus-Minus. His biggest challenger for Most Improved is Charlotte Hornets point guard Kemba Walker. It should be a close race the rest of the way between these two budding stars.

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