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The conversation around the NBA's individual awards is gaining traction as we near the end of the regular season. The Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) races are the most exciting ones to follow as they feature some of the game's finest players.
But some of the younger players in the league work just as hard to earn the Most Improved Player of the Year (MIPOY) award. Brandon Ingram won the MIPOY award in 2020.
The New Orleans Pelicans star went to the gym in the offseason and returned with a better-looking jumper. Once attempting just a couple of threes per game, he came back shooting 39% from three on over six attempts.
There are several inspirational stories like Ingram's this year as well and many players deserve the Most Improved Player (MIPOY) award.
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NBA Most Improved Player of the Year (MIPOY) 2021 | Five players dominating the April Power Rankings
Our previous MIPOY power rankings featured players like Zion Williamson and Jaylen Brown but we have left them off this time around for good reason.
Williamson played just 24 games last season and averaged 22 points per game. His exceptional talent was known even before he declared for the NBA draft and was the reason he got picked no. 1 in 2019.
Although he deserves to be recognized for his exceptional performances, it isn't quite a monumental leap in his production, considering he barely played last year.
Jaylen Brown has had more touches and more attempts this season as coach Brad Stevens has made him an integral part of the offense. If the Boston Celtics need to make a title run, an improvement in Brown's game was not only needed but expected. He is shooting at almost the same efficiency as last year, so his increase in points scored doesn't tell the full story.
Let's look at the top 5 players in this week's edition of the 'Most Improved Player of the Year' (MIPOY) power rankings.
#5 Nikola Jokic
Previous MIPOY Power Ranking: 5 (-)
Stats last season: 19.9 PPG | 9.7 RPG | 7.0 APG
Stats this season: 26.2 PPG | 10.9 PRG | 8.8 APG
Most people wouldn't have Nikola Jokic as a candidate for MIPOY this season primarily because he is the frontrunner for the MVP award.
However, his leap this season cannot be ignored. He went from averaging 19.9 points per game to nearly 27 this year and has greatly improved his assist and rebounding numbers as well.
Moreover, his biggest leap wasn't rebounding or passing but his improved jump shot. The Serbian big man is currently shooting 42% from the three-point line, a rise from 31% last season on the same number of attempts.
Jokic might just become the first player ever to win MVP and MIPOY in the same season.
#4 Christian Wood
Previous MIPOY Power Ranking: 3 (↓1)
Stats last season: 13.1 PPG | 6.3 RPG | 1.0 APG
Stats this season: 21.1 PPG | 9.5 PRG | 1.5 APG
Christian Wood is having the best season of his career and has featured in the MIPOY power rankings since the beginning of the season.
He signed with the Houston Rockets in free agency and playing under coach Stephen Silas has done wonders for him. Wood averaged 9.5 points per game in his career before suiting up for the Rockets but is now up to 21.1 points per game this season.
He has had 19 20+ point games so far including two 30+ point games. He has also had 15 games so far in which he grabbed double-digit rebounds, including five occasions where he grabbed 15+ boards.
He has doubled his shot attempts and is remarkably shooting at nearly the same efficiency. Wood noted that no specific plays have been drawn just for him, so his improvement is not just a result of a system framed to benefit him but rather an actual outcome of hard work to boost his game.
The only reason he is so low in our MIPOY power rankings is that the 25-year-old has missed several games this season and has participated in just 31 matches so far.
#3 Chris Boucher
Previous MIPOY Power Ranking: N/A
Stats last season: 6.6 PPG | 4.5 RPG | 0.4 APG
Stats this season: 13.7 PPG | 6.6 PRG | 1.0 APG
Unlike everyone else on this list, Chris Boucher has shown major improvement despite coming off the bench. Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol's exit from the Toronto Raptors set the stage for the young center. He is getting 10 more minutes than last season and has shown his potential.
Boucher has improved in every single statistical category. He has doubled his blocks per game to two and many make the argument he is eligible for the 'Sixth Man of the Year' as well as the MIPOY award.
He has had 12 20+ point games this season, including two 30+ games, and also recorded 11 games with double-digit rebounds. One of the most impressive additions to his game is his three-point shooting.
From a player who barely attempted threes in a game, he is now up to nearly four attempts per game and is making 38% of them. Amazingly, his touches and shot attempts have gone up but remarkably so has his efficiency.
Chris Boucher was named the 2019 G-League MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, and the 6-foot-9 big man might add another feather in his cap this season with the MIPOY award.
#2 Julius Randle
Previous MIPOY Power Ranking: 1 (↓1)
Stats last season: 19.5 PPG | 9.7 RPG | 3.1 APG
Stats this season: 23.0 PPG | 10.7 PRG | 6.0 APG
Julius Randle has taken the league by storm this season. He earned his first-ever All-Star selection this year and his improvements have turned around the New York Knicks franchise.
Although he is averaging just 3.5 points per game more than last season, it doesn't show the full picture. Out of a total of 54 games played this season, Randle has recorded 20+ points 37 times, including six 30+ point games and one 44-point outing.
He has led his team to victory several times this season and recently credited his improved work ethic to one of the most hardworking players we have ever seen, Kobe Bryant.
His three-point shooting, which was considered his primary weakness, has also improved drastically. From shooting 27% last season, he is now shooting nearly 40% from beyond the arc.
Randle is one of just 13 players averaging a double-double this season and has nearly doubled his assists numbers as well. He is a prime candidate for the MIPOY award this season and has a very strong chance of winning it.
#1 Jerami Grant
Previous MIPOY Power Ranking: 2 (↑1)
Stats last season: 12.0 PPG | 3.5 RPG | 1.2 APG
Stats this season: 22.5 PPG | 4.8 PRG | 2.9 APG
No one could have possibly predicted Jerami Grant's rise before he laced up for the Detroit Pistons. He averaged 9.3 points per game in his career and was mainly valued for his defense.
Certainly, no one foresaw Grant becoming an offensive weapon who is now averaging 22.5 points per game while maintaining his defensive production.
He is the first Pistons player since 2010 with a 40+-point game while shooting 60%+ from the floor. He has had 32 games with 20+ points this season including nine games with 30+ points and one 43 point outing.
Grant has been the frontrunner for the MIPOY award ever since he started dropping big numbers for the Pistons at the beginning of the season. The MIPOY award is supposedly a close battle between him and Julius Randle.
Also Read: NBA Power Rankings: Phoenix Suns reclaim the top spot as Philadelphia 76ers drop out of the top
