cbs sports.com
By Michael Kaskey-Blomain
The field for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award is a crowded one this season, as a number of players from across the league's landscape have taken their game up a notch. For some players, improvement is the result of a fresh start on a new team. For others, it simply stems from getting more minutes on the same squad. Either way, all of the guys on this list have stepped up in a major way this season. Here's a look at the five top candidates for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award for the 2020-21 season.
1. Julius Randle
NY • PF • 30
PPG24.2
RPG10.3
BPG.25
Julius Randle has been a productive player in the league for several seasons now, but he has blossomed into an All-Star with the Knicks during the current campaign. Randle has upped all of his major counting stats this season, as he's averaging career-highs in points (24.2), rebounds (10.3), assists (5.9) and steals (1.0) per game. Randle is a workhorse too, as he's the league leader in minutes played per game this season at 37.4.
Perhaps the biggest – and most important – improvement in Randle's game has come from beyond the arc, where he has increased both his accuracy and attempts in a major way. Last season, Randle attempted 3.6 3-pointers per game and connected on only 27 percent of his attempts. This season, he is taking 5.4 per game and he has increased his accuracy to 42 percent – well above the league average. This development has opened up the game on the offensive end for Randle as defenses are now forced to guard him all the way out to the arc. This wasn't the case in the past.
Overall, Randle has been the catalyst for New York's best season in nearly a decade. Thanks largely to Randle's productive play, and his ability to serve as a go-to guy on the offensive end, the Knicks have secured their first winning season and their first postseason appearance since 2012-13. For all of those reasons, Randle is a candidate, and arguably the favorite, for the Most Improved Player Award this season.
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...hristian-wood-among-top-candidates-for-award/
By Michael Kaskey-Blomain
NBA Most Improved Player race: Knicks' Julius Randle, Rockets' Christian Wood among top candidates for award
The field for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award is a crowded one this season, as a number of players from across the league's landscape have taken their game up a notch. For some players, improvement is the result of a fresh start on a new team. For others, it simply stems from getting more minutes on the same squad. Either way, all of the guys on this list have stepped up in a major way this season. Here's a look at the five top candidates for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award for the 2020-21 season.
1. Julius Randle
NY • PF • 30
PPG24.2
RPG10.3
BPG.25
Julius Randle has been a productive player in the league for several seasons now, but he has blossomed into an All-Star with the Knicks during the current campaign. Randle has upped all of his major counting stats this season, as he's averaging career-highs in points (24.2), rebounds (10.3), assists (5.9) and steals (1.0) per game. Randle is a workhorse too, as he's the league leader in minutes played per game this season at 37.4.
Perhaps the biggest – and most important – improvement in Randle's game has come from beyond the arc, where he has increased both his accuracy and attempts in a major way. Last season, Randle attempted 3.6 3-pointers per game and connected on only 27 percent of his attempts. This season, he is taking 5.4 per game and he has increased his accuracy to 42 percent – well above the league average. This development has opened up the game on the offensive end for Randle as defenses are now forced to guard him all the way out to the arc. This wasn't the case in the past.
Overall, Randle has been the catalyst for New York's best season in nearly a decade. Thanks largely to Randle's productive play, and his ability to serve as a go-to guy on the offensive end, the Knicks have secured their first winning season and their first postseason appearance since 2012-13. For all of those reasons, Randle is a candidate, and arguably the favorite, for the Most Improved Player Award this season.
https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/...hristian-wood-among-top-candidates-for-award/
