Remember the time when the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award was given to talents who made unexpected leaps, instead of being handed to the next expected superstar?
The element of surprise and adulation played strong roles in making the award mean something. It felt like a much needed break for the little one.
Alas, the prize has changed and probably forever. Darrell Armstrong (the 1998-99 MIP) no longer walks through that door. Even if he did, he would have to settle for a small pat on the back, while the real hardware would go to some high lottery pick entering his third season, or a player who broke out the year before and isn’t. much surprise making yet another jump.
That said, just because polling media ignores the hardworking players who spend years cracking a rotation doesn’t mean we have to.
Let’s go hunt for the next Darrell Armstrong, shall we?
Jalen Smith, Chicago Bulls
It’s almost impossible not to be impressed by Smith’s line last season as a Pacer. His averages of 9.9 points and 5.5 rebounds might sound pedestrian, but he racked up those numbers in just 17.2 minutes per game and did so at an efficiency so high, you’d think he stole the basketball from “Space Jam” and tricked Kevin Durant into touching down . it.
He shot 59.2% from the field and 42.4% from downtown, and posted an absolutely mesmerizing 68.2% true shooting rate all season.
If only 80% of that production and efficiency is able to reach, say, 30 minutes per game, then we’re looking at a player on the brink of All-Star consideration.
The Bulls stole him from the Pacers on a ridiculously cheap contract, paying the 6-foot-10 forward/center just $27 million over three seasons. His market, obviously, didn’t have much faith in the consistency of his production.
That’s good news for us, as his lack of attention and contract value only enhances his candidacy as someone flying well under the radar.
Vasilije Micic, Charlotte Hornets
Will every Serbian reader and Euroleague fan please sit down?
Yes, Micić is outstanding. He is a former Euroleague MVP and one of the most decorated international players in the world. If he were to retire tomorrow, there’s an easy case to make that he deserves a place in the Hall of Fame.
But this is the NBA, where he has yet to make his mark. He was stuck in a positively loaded Oklahoma City squad last season and was moved in a trade deadline deal to Charlotte, a place only 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, emphasis on position and not talent. The 30-year-old has seen it all, plays under control, balances shooting with playmaking and remains one of the most powerful leaders at the position in the world.
While he’s bench-bound, in the form of Ball’s backup, it’s hard to imagine he won’t see extended minutes when you consider Ball has played just 58 total games over the past two seasons. In addition, there is the element of Micić offering a level of steady stability and restraint that wasn’t always there for Ball.
To basketball junkies, mentioning Micić in that context is cause for uproar. But given that he’s the backup point guard on one of the league’s least interesting teams, you can easily argue that he fits the criteria.
Trendon Watford, Brooklyn Nets
In the interest of full transparency, this writer has named Watford as his personal pick for MIP this season, which is likely to end up being a roll of pure folly.
And yet, there is a way for the now fourth-year forward to explode. He has been historically stable, offering quality performance, including long distance. There’s an interesting defensive component to him, as well as being a solid rebounder and ball-mover at the big position.
The 23-year-old was never really given a chance to flourish, being limited to 16.8 minutes in his career. But with his career now spanning 173 games and him consistently putting together seasons with the same DNA, it’s hard to argue against him.
There’s something there, be it his catching ability, his general sense of reading the floor or his scoring prowess, that saw an increase last season.
Of course, the challenge for him is to earn minutes on a team that has Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith, Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton. But with a first-year head coach in Jordi Fernández who will try to prove himself, it is not unreasonable to expect the young coach to opt for stability – something Watford does offer.
Julian Champagnie, San Antonio Spurs
While Champagnie is never likely to reach stardom, 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 3-point shot.
Champagnie shoots 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 features Victor Wembanyama, leaning toward optimal floor spacing is like buying Apple stock in 2007. It’s just a good time.
What most don’t seem to realize about Champagnie is that he is 6-8 and quick to get his shot. This isn’t some undersized combo guard that needs to dribble 15 times before he can find daylight. No, this is someone with quality size and a consistently high and quick release point that can fire right away against most opponents.
Champagnie won’t wow you with dribbling moves, and you probably won’t find your teenager hanging a picture of him in his room viciously dribbling on Zach Edey. That’s not his game.
But he will play in a strict environment, where his work is streamlined, simplistic and extremely effective. For some, it’s even scalable due to the nature of how they get their shots. Champagnie isn’t likely to change much in terms of the amount of catch-and-shoot 3s he’ll get per game.
If nothing else, Champagnie’s role acceptance – and level of execution – might even be more attractive to the Spurs’ coaching staff than, say, Malaki Branham, who looks for his shots all over the floor, with fleeting success.
