Shlomo Sprung: Hello everyone, and welcome to another column about the greatness of Jimmy Butler here on this fine basketball website, Sheridanhoops.com. (You know this is the place that broke LeBron to Cleveland, right?) Before we begin, I just wanted to remind readers that Butler’s true shooting percentage has gone up a full 2—
Suzyn Waldman: Ohhhh mahhhyyy gawdd!! Kelzz Dayton is up in Chris Sheridan’s luxury bawx!!! He’s coming back for another season of Most Improved Player Rankings!!! OHH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS!!!!! OF ALL THE DRAMATIC THINGS I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!
Kels Dayton: That’s right, folks. The most anticipated return in basketball is finally upon us! Cue that P. Diddy song.
We’re back with another season of the Most Improved Player Rankings, which have become every bit as celebrated an NBA tradition as salty Gregg Popovich interviews and Dwayne Wade wearing his wife’s clothes. (Now let’s just pray that Craig Sager can get back to being insulted by Pop on the sidelines as soon as possible.)
But before we get into the rankings, I wrote this letter that I’d like to share with you all right now.
Dear Readers,
Before anyone cared where I wrote about basketball, I was a kid from northwest Connecticut. It’s where I jogged. It’s where I trotted. It’s where I galloped. It’s where I played Nintendo 64. It’s where I cried when I lost on Nintendo 64.
I’m coming back to Sheridan Hoops because the world needs a place where it can gather to discuss the most improved players in the NBA. Without that, what is society for, really? It’s just a bunch of people running around trying to find true happiness in a random, chaotic universe.
So without further adieu, let’s check out the list of the most improved ballers in the league this season. May its depth and breadth of knowledge fill you with joy.
1. Jimmy Butler, Bulls. It’s only mid-January, but the race for the Most Improved Player award may be all but over. Butler is to basketball improvement what Tony Robbins was to self-improvement, or Meghan Trainor is to being all about that bass. His scoring has taken a significant leap (from 13.1 to 20.9 ppg), his assist numbers are up (2.6 to 3.4), and rebounding is better as well (4.9 to 6.2). All of that, combined with the fact that he’s one of the best 1-on-1 defenders in the league (no exaggeration), has Butler ranked fifth in Chris Sheridan’s MVP Rankings. This is Jimmy Butler we’re talking about.
2. The Atlanta Hawks. The only way that Butler doesn’t win the league’s Most Improved Player award this year is if the voters decide to give it to the entire Atlanta Hawks franchise, which is so ridiculously and unexpectedly improved that I don’t even know what to do with my hands. The Hawks are an absurd 29-8 and are winning with virtually the exact same squad that finished 38-44 last season and nearly set record lows for postseason shooting percentage.
3. Giannis Antetokoumpo, Bucks. The Greek Freak is playing so well this season that he’s actually forcing casual NBA fans to learn how to pronounce his name, which is no easy feat. Even the Bucks announcers often just say “Yannis,” which is the pronunciation of his first name and just a tad easier. Giannis’ numbers are up across the board, from points (6.8 to 11.7), to rebounds (4.4 to 6.2), to field goal percentage (.414 to .497). It won’t be long before this guy’s name is being mispronounced in households across the country.
4. Anthony Davis, Pelicans. The ‘Brow was an MIP staple last season, finishing sixth in our final rankings. But just when you thought he couldn’t possibly improve enough to land in these rankings again, here he is, all improved for another season. Big Ant already has vaulted himself into the conversation for league’s best player, and if there’s one guy you would want on your squad for the next 10 years, I’m not so sure most NBA GMs wouldn’t take Davis. His 24-10-3 average stat line is awesome, and his 31.19 PER is utterly ridiculous.
5. Kyle Lowry, Raptors. There’s a reason why Toronto is one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference again this season, and it isn’t DeMar DeRozan, who has been sidelined for much of the year with a groin injury. Lowry has been a revelation, putting up 20.4 points and 7.7 assists per game in guiding the Raptors to a 25-12 record, which is tied with Washington for second in the East. He is headed toward his first All-Star berth. Not bad for the first year of a four-year, $48 million deal.
Kels Dayton is a freelance writer whose work has also appeared in SLAM Magazine. You can check out more of his work at RoundballDaily.com and SportzEdge.com. Follow him on Twitter @RoundballDaily.