Miles Bridges’ Odds stood at +550, staking him as the Most Improved Player of NBA 2021-2022 Season
Bridges, who was known in his early NBA days as a great dunker, one-upped Poole on the stat sheet. The Hornets small forward poured in 32 points and nine rebounds, showcasing his range as well with five triples. Bridges also had two steals, two blocks and two assists. Both players have not only made improvements to their game but are seeing major minutes on the floor for teams in the playoff hunt. That’s a strong formula for winning this honor.
Bridges is the favorite to win Most Improved Player at +550, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The Hornets forward was averaging 23.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game entering Wednesday’s contest. Poole is +2500 to win the honor. He came into Wednesday’s game putting up 14.0 points and 4.0 assists per game but those numbers are likely down due to some poor shooting percentages. If the Warriors guard can be more efficient from the floor, this race should tighten substantially over the course of the season.
Side by Side with LaMelo Ball
Alongside Miles Bridges is rookie sensation and another one of the infamous ball brothers, LaMelo Ball. Coming into the league a year after his brother Lonzo Ball who is now playing in the 1st Seed Chicago Bulls, LaMelo stepped into the league raining floaters and assists against veteran.
He hasn’t even reached 23 years old and yet are already household names and highlight fixtures.
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets: All signs are mainly positive as the reigning Kia Rookie of the Year tries to top himself. He’s more of an assertive scorer (20.4 points per game) while still finding the time to entertain with passes in the open floor. From an offensive standpoint, Ball is putting himself in position to eventually become a dangerous player who completely wrecks the other team’s gameplan. His decision-making needs to sharpen and his defense could use more polishing even though he’s averaging almost two steals a game. Overall, he’s right where the Hornets need him to be at this stage.
Past Season’s Most Improved Player
The MIP award is one of the most significant award that showcases the growth of players, either elevating themselves from bench player to core players, or consistent production from the bench (Such as seen from Tyler Herro, the running candidate for sixth man of the year).
NBA Season | Player | Team (At the time) |
2020 – 2021 | Julius Randle | New York Knicks |
2019 – 2020 | Brandon Ingram | New Orlean Pelicans |
2018 – 2019 | Pascal Siakam | Toronto Raptors |
2017 – 2018 | Victor Oladipo | Indiana Pacers |
2016 – 2017 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks |