I don't really think Sophomore player should be classified for MIP. It should go to players that at least have a 3rd year in the League.
I highly doubt a Rocket will win the award, but for within the team, I'm gonna say Jermaine Taylor. He averaged 4.1 points per game last year while shooting 37% from the field and 22% from behind the arc. With more minutes this year, and now with one year under his belt, I can see those numbers increasing to around 8-10 points per game while shooting somewhere around 48% from the field and 37% from three, which were his numbers in his senior year at UCF. If he isn't the standout most improved, then I could see Budinger or even Ariza being most improved within the team. In my opinion, Ariza could win it by shooting better percentages from all three areas, and averaging around 15 points per game. IIRC, at one point last year, Ariza was in the bottom 15 in fg%, 3fg%, and ft% of all shooters that qualified. That has to be drastically improved if he were to take the team title of "most improved".
He works hard, but a lot of guys who show they can do damage their rookie year have sophmore slumps as scouting of them is much better. Let's hope that's not the case. I would like to see him get more PT this year.
As far as the Houston players, Budinger, Ariza & Taylor are my top 3 candidates. Playing with Yao, I don't see Ariza's numbers going up, but his shooting percentages could get better. Budinger was good last season, don't see a lot more out of him unless he can get an increased role on this team. Any injuries to our wing players could possibly lead to him starting and playing more minutes. In a starter's role, I could easily see him up his average 4-7 points per game. Taylor didn't do much last season, so he can only go up. If he was to fill the role of a scorer off the bench, he could easily make the most gains. He is also a candidate to be a spot starter, Rockets liked how he looked starting against the Lakers.
We probably want to foremost agree upon the metric on which the improvement is measured. If single metric is picked, I would like to see win shares per 48 minutes.
I know he's 30 and will be 31 this coming season, but he's been steadily improving each year, and has really come into his own in the NBA... A full season without Landry eating up his minutes, and a questionable Yao to start the season, my pick: Luis Scola.
Good point if he averages his post Landry numbers the whole year he may make the all star team. Also I think Miller is going to make alot of our players scoring averages go up because of all the sweet passes he is going to be feeding cutters with.
I look for Kevin Martin to have a breakout season. He'll thrive playing with Yao and Miller, and having a big man to play off of. He'll also have something to prove in his first full season with the Rockets.
+1! Everyone seems to have forgotten we have this scoring machine. Last season was an adjustment year for him having new teammates and all. Now that he's settled in, watch out!
Why not Kyle Lowry? Hedo did it 3 seasons ago at a rather old age and why couldn't he do it as a 6th man? I believe with better opportunity he can grow, atleast a little bit.
