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Giannis Antetokounmpo should get some love for Most Improved Player

By Brian Sampson

MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 20: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks walks to the sideline prior to the opening tip against the Boston Celtics of game three of round one of the Eastern Conference playoffs at the Bradley Center on April 20, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - APRIL 20: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks walks to the sideline prior to the opening tip against the Boston Celtics of game three of round one of the Eastern Conference playoffs at the Bradley Center on April 20, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Even though Giannis Antetokounmpo won the Most Improved Player award last season, he should be in the conversation once again.

Milwaukee Bucks‘ forward Giannis Antetokounmpo won the Most Improved Player award in 2017, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be eligible to win it again. For some reason, however, media and pundits seem to have automatically eliminated him based on last year’s victory and his completed rise to NBA stardom.

The award was first created in 1985 and Alvin Robertson of the San Antonio Spurs was the inaugural recipient. Since the establishment, no player has ever won it twice. That should at least have a chance to change this season, but Victor Oladipo seems to have it all wrapped up.

Don’t get me wrong, Oladipo is very deserving. After being a super role player his first four years in the NBA with the Orlando Magic and Oklahoma City Thunder, he appears to have found his way after a trade to the Indiana Pacers.

Per 36 Minutes Table
SeasonTmFGFGAFG%3P%TRBASTSTLTOVPFPTS
2013-14ORL5.713.5.419.3274.84.71.93.73.016.0
2014-15ORL6.615.2.436.3394.24.11.72.92.618.1
2015-16ORL6.414.7.438.3485.24.31.82.32.617.4
2016-17OKC6.715.1.442.3614.72.91.31.92.517.3
2017-18IND9.018.9.477.3715.54.62.53.12.524.5

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table

In what was one of the most surprising adaptations in the league this season, Oladipo thrived as the Pacers go-to scorer and carried them into the playoffs as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

Given all that, there’s a misconception he’s taken a substantial leap hti season, but his numbers aren’t as different as previous seasons. Sure, his points per 36 minutes is up to 24.5, 6.4 points higher than his previous career high, but that’s to be expected when he’s getting almost four extra shots per game. His field goal percentage at 48.1 percent ranks 55th out of 130 players in the NBA who played at least 15 minutes a game this season.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo’s field goal percentage rose for the fifth consecutive year and he ranked 14th in the NBA by connecting on 62.7 percent of his shots. However, I don’t want to get too far down that rabbit hole, as it’s not a competition of who’s better as that award clearly goes to Antetokounmpo.

The Greek Freak made improvements in his own right and saw his points per 36 jump by 3.1 and his rebounds by 0.9.

Per 36 Minutes Table
SeasonTmFGFGAFG%3P%TRBASTSTLTOVPFPTS
2013-14MIL3.37.9.414.3476.42.81.12.33.310.0
2014-15MIL5.411.1.491.1597.72.91.02.53.614.6
2015-16MIL6.512.9.506.2577.84.41.22.73.317.2
2016-17MIL8.315.9.521.2728.95.51.73.03.123.2
2017-18MIL9.718.3.529.3079.84.71.42.93.026.3

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Although his numbers didn’t increase by as much as Oladipo’s, it’s the level he has now taken his game to that’s the harder accomplishment.

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In any given season, a few guys take the leap Oladipo did from role player to borderline All-Star. In 2017-18 alone, Clint Capela, Bradley Beal and Goran Dragic all fit in that category.

However, there was only one player who jumped into the superstar class this season.

Antetokounmpo should be a unanimous first-team All-NBA selection this year and is likely to make the first-team All-Defensive team as well (if the voters are smart). And similar to a team making the jump from good to great, Antetokounmpo’s rise as one of the NBA’s five best players is the harder one to make.

Even though the Bucks struggled this season with poor coaching and even worse schemes, Antetokounmpo shined throughout. His talent seemed to conquer the shortcomings of the coaching staff on a consistent basis.

And even without a jump shot, which many critics point to as his kryptonite, he averaged the third-most points per game behind only Anthony Davis and LeBron James. That’s a rise of ten positions after he ranked 13th in 2016-17.

His rebounding also took a significant step forward, as he was virtually the only Bucks’ big man who could grab a rebound in traffic.

Outside of the regular box score stats, he grew as a leader and teammate on the court. His confidence increased seemingly every game, as he played point guard, small forward, power forward or center in multiple games. Again, this growth is something Oladipo can’t match.

Next: Bucks' highlights from Game 4 victory over the Celtics

The list of players who made the leap into stardom is a list of one and features only Antetokounmpo. For that reason, he deserves to receive more love in the Most Improved Player conversation.

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