Remember when the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award was given to talents who made unexpected leaps, rather than the next expected superstar?
The element of surprise and admiration played a major role in giving the award meaning. It felt like a much-needed break for the little guy.
Unfortunately, the award has changed and probably forever. Darrell Armstrong (the 1998-99 MIP) no longer walks through that door. Even if he did, he’d have to settle for a pat on the back, while the actual hardware would go to some high lottery pick entering his third season, or to a player who broke out the year before and isn’t. a big surprise to make another jump.
That said, just because voting media members ignore the hard-working players who spend years cracking a rotation doesn’t mean we should.
Let’s hunt for the next Darrell Armstrong, shall we?
Jalen Smith, Chicago Bulls
It’s practically impossible not to be impressed with Smith’s line as a Pacer last season. His averages of 9.9 points and 5.5 rebounds may sound corny, but he put those numbers together in just 17.2 minutes per game and did it with such high efficiency that you’d think he was playing basketball from “Space Jam ” had stolen and seduced Kevin Durant into touching each other. It.
He shot 59.2% from the field and 42.4% from downtown, posting an absolutely mesmerizing 68.2% true shooting rate all season.
If only 80% of that production and efficiency can scale to, say, 30 minutes per game, then we’re looking at a player on the verge of All-Star consideration.
The Bulls stole him from the Pacers on a ridiculously cheap contract, paying the 6-foot-1 forward/center just $27 million over three seasons. His market apparently did not believe much in the consistency of his production.
That’s good news for us, as his lack of attention and contract value only improves his candidacy as someone who flies well under the radar.
Vasilije Micic, Charlotte Hornets
Would every Serbian reader and Euroleague fan please take a seat?
Yes, Micić is excellent. He is a former Euroleague MVP and one of the most decorated international players in the world. If he were to retire tomorrow, it would be easy to argue that he deserves a spot in the Hall Of Fame.
But this is the NBA, where he has yet to make his mark. Last season, he was stuck on a positively charged team out of Oklahoma City and was moved at the trade deadline to Charlotte, a place that can only be seen on the national radar if you use the Hubble telescope.
Here’s a potentially controversial take: Micić is probably a better point guard than LaMelo Ball, with the emphasis on position and not talent. The 30-year-old has seen it all, plays under control, combines shot-taking with playmaking and remains one of the most powerful leaders in the world in the position.
Although he is bench-bound in the form of Ball’s backup, it’s hard to imagine he won’t see extended minutes considering Ball has only played a total of 58 games over the last two seasons. Plus, there’s the Micić element that offers a level of stable stability and restraint that hasn’t always been there for Ball.
For basketball aficionados, the mention of Micić in this context is cause for alarm. But considering he’s the backup point guard on one of the league’s least interesting teams, you could easily argue he fits the criteria.
Trendon Watford, Brooklyn Nets
In the interest of full transparency, this writer named Watford as his personal choice for MIP this season, which will likely end up as a roll of the dice of pure folly.
And yet there is a path for the now fourth year to break out. It is historically stable and offers high-quality efficiency, even over long distances. There is an interesting defensive component to him, just as he is a solid rebounder and ball mover at the big position.
The 23-year-old was never really given the opportunity to flourish as he was limited to 16.8 minutes in his career. But considering his career now spans 173 games and he’s continually stringing together seasons with the same DNA, it’s hard to argue with him.
There’s something there, whether it’s his grab-and-go ability, his overall sense of reading the floor or his scoring ability that saw an uptick last season.
The challenge for him, of course, is to gain minutes in a team with Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton. But with Jordi Fernández as a first-year head coach, who will try to prove himself, it is not unreasonable to expect the young coach to opt for stability, something that Watford does offer.
Julian Champagnie, San Antonio Spurs
While Champagnie will likely never be a star, as he generally lacks a compelling all-around game, there is a real “star in his role” vibe about him, especially when it comes to the three-point shot.
Champagnie launches those bad boys come hell or high water, with 68.9% of his shot attempts last season coming from beyond the arc. And with a team that includes Victor Wembanyama, chasing optimal floor spacing is like buying Apple stock in 2007. It’s just good timing.
What most don’t seem to be aware of about Champagnie is that he is 6-8 and quick to make his shot. This isn’t an undersized combo guard who needs to dribble 15 times before he can find daylight. No, this is someone with quality size and a consistently high and fast release point who can shoot off the catch immediately against most opponents.
Champagnie won’t wow you with dribble moves, and you probably won’t see your teen hanging a picture of him in his room viciously dunking on Zach Edey. That’s not his game.
But he will be playing within a strict setting, where his work is streamlined, simplistic and hugely effective. For some, it’s even scalable due to the nature of how they take their photos. It’s not likely that Champagnie will fluctuate greatly in the amount of catch-and-shoot 3s he gets per game.
If nothing else, Champagnie’s role acceptance – and level of execution – could be even more attractive to the Spurs coaching staff than, say, Malaki Branham, who is looking for shots everywhere, with fleeting success.