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The Most Improved Player might have the most candidates of any award year in and year out. After all, shouldn't most young players improve each year they're in the league? Of course, the ones that stand out are the ones that make the leap.
Maurice Brooks:
Enough already about the ugly form on the jump shot of Sacramento's Kevin Martin. Shawn Marion's jumper gives shooting instructors nightmares, but the bottom line is it goes in. Martin is averaging 20.6 points on .496 shooting from the field and .878 from the foul line.
Jeff Dengate:
Kevin Martin is sure to garner his share of votes for Most Improved, based on the fact he's bumped up his scoring average 10 points per game to 20.8, but my vote goes to Dallas' Josh Howard. The distinction, in my mind, is that Howard ratcheted up his scoring to 19.8 ppg and rebounding to 7.2 rpg on a talented and winning squad, while not seeing his overall playing time go up much. Martin, meanwhile, is getting 36.0 minutes of burn a night for the Kings this season, after only playing 26.6 mpg a season ago. Howard has continued to grow and get better in each of his four NBA seasons, and it's time to reward him.
John Hareas:
A rededicated offseason regiment for (the soon-to-be free agent) Luke Walton resulted in weight loss, improved quickness, improved shooting and now a bigger pay day come July.
Dave McMenamin:
If Kevin Martin splashed on to the scene with a game-winning lay-up vs. the Spurs in the playoffs last year, consider this season as Martin doing an Anchorman-like cannonball into the pool of NBA stardom. The third-year guard out of Western Carolina has pumped up his scoring from 10.8 points a year ago to 20.6 points per game this season and is shooting a gaudy 49.6 percent from the field. Some criticize Martin's funky-looking jumper, but Martin's consistent production is acting as a great airbrush and making the J look a lot prettier.
Rob Peterson:
Let's take a look at Kevin Martin's numbers: more than 20 points per game (20.6), nearly 50 percent from the field (.496), nearly 40 percent from three (.395) and .878 from the free throw line. Do you know the only other player in NBA history to approach those numbers over the course of a season? Any guess? Larry Bird. That's right, the three-time MVP was the only NBA player ever to average 20 points per game and shoot 50/40/90 and Martin is damn close to that this season. You've heard of Larry Bird. Had anyone but the hardcore fan heard of Martin before this season? I think that qualifies for Most Improved. Martin's been so good this year, even his personal offseason trainer now has a chat on ESPN.com.
Chris Rosenbluth:
The popular thinking here is to pick the guy who goes from an average player to a good one. If I chose to implement this strategy, Kevin Martin would be the obvious choice. But Carlos Boozer is making a different kind of jump this year, leaping from solid second-option status to legitimate MVP candidate. He's posting career highs in almost every statistical category, and the Jazz have re-emerged as a Western Conference power. The fact that both are happening in the same season is not a coincidence.
John Schuhmann:
A few months ago, if you said the name "K-Mart" in a basketball context to me, I would immediately think of the B.A.Y.B. in Denver and that kid in Sac wouldn't even cross my mind. Now, Kevin Martin, he of the smooth fade and unsmooth jumper has made a name for himself as well.
