Where Getting Better Happens: The NBA's 10 Most Improved Players

Every team has one—a player whose improvement has made a significant impact on the season.

Even the weaker teams in the league can usually boast of at least one player on the roster whose game has made major strides over the previous year.

In fact, it's often the players on teams ranked in the middle of the standings, or at the bottom, who gain the most notoriety. The league's elite teams typically have more balanced attacks, and their superstars exhibit pretty consistent numbers year after year.

This year has seen its typically number of standout performances from players who have stepped up to make a difference. Here are ten leading candidates for the 2009-10 Most Improved Player award.

10. Channing Frye, Phoenix Suns

The case has been made in many quarters for Frye as THE most improved player in the league this year.

He's certainly one of them, but I have difficulty handing the award to someone who has regressed and then improved again.

Four years ago, as a 22-year-old rookie with the Knicks, Frye averaged 24 minutes, 12 points, and 5.8 rebounds a game.

This year, in 27 minutes a game, he's averaging 11.4 points and 5.1 rebounds.

Still, it's a significant upgrade over his numbers of the past two seasons, in Portland. Last year Frye averaged only 4.2 points and 2.2 rebounds a contest.

This year is a major upgrade, but it's not like Frye hasn't put up similar numbers before. So he gets a nod, but not at the top of the list.

9. Chris Douglas-Roberts, New Jersey Nets

It's been a rough year for the Nets, but Douglas-Roberts has been a bright spot.

His minutes have doubled, and so has his scoring, over last year. As a rookie, he averaged 4.9 points and about one rebound and one assist a game.

This year, those numbers have improved to 10.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per contest.

He's also contributing a steal a game.

Whatever future the Nets have—in Newark or in Brooklyn—Douglas-Roberts has an excellent chance to be a part of it.

8. Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets

Granted, anyone's numbers are bound to improve when going from reserve to starter, but Ariza has responded as hoped.

He's averaging 15 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists a game for the Rockets, who are quietly recording a remarkable season in the absence of Yao Ming.

Last year with the Lakers, Ariza tallied 8.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in a reserve role.

Ariza will be one of the components of a Rockets team that may surprise a lot of people next season.

7. Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors

Ellis has been a solid performer for the past four seasons, but this year he's outdone himself.

The fifth-year pro has been outstanding, pouring in nearly 26 points a game while averaging 5.3 assists.

Ellis has been a one-man stat machine, adding four rebounds and 2.3 assists to his impressive collection of numbers.

6. Carl Landry, Sacramento Kings

Shocked, but undaunted, by his midseason trade from the Houston Rockets to the Kings, Landry has nonetheless put up slightly better numbers since arriving in Sacramento.

His scoring has improved from 16.1 to 16.9 points per game, while his rebounding has jumped from 5.5 to 6.7 a contest.

Both are significant gains over his first two seasons in the NBA. Last year with Houston, Landry recorded 9.2 points and five rebounds a night.

His sustained excellence in Sacramento has proved that this year is no fluke. Landry appears to have arrived in full force in 2009-10.

5. Danilo Gallinari, New York Knicks

Emerging as a starter this season for the Knicks, Gallinari has responded with a solid performance.

He's contributing a respectable 14 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists on the season, and is playing nearly two-and-a-half the number of minutes of his rookie year.

Gallinari also appeared in the Three-Point Shootout during the All-Star Weekend.

He's welcomed the spotlight in what is proving to be a breakout season in the Big Apple.

4. Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies

The "other" Gasol need no longer take a back seat to Pau.

This Gasol has established himself as a solid NBA center in his own right, with his 14.8 points and 9.5 rebounds a game.

Gasol also contributes 2.4 assists and 1.6 blocks a game to a Grizzlies team that is making noise in the Western Conference.

The numbers are up in every category over a year ago, making Gasol a key component to Memphis' climb into the playoff hunt.

3. Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks

Bogut's been a factor in the middle for the Bucks before, but never like he has been this season.

Milwaukee's meteoric rise in the Eastern Conference is largely to the credit of Bogut's workmanlike play in the post.

Always a strong rebounder, his average of 10.3 boards this season matches that of a year ago.

But it's Bogut's scoring and defense that have shown marked improvement.

He's averaging 16.1 points a game, up from 11.7 a year ago. More dramatic are his blocked shots, which have leapt from one a game to 2.5 a contest.

Bogut is simply one of the best centers in the NBA, and an anchor for an up-and-coming Bucks team.

2. Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls

Noah's first two years in the NBA were ones of promise—but promise somewhat unfulfilled.

Not any more. This year Noah has solidified his place in the starting lineup while averaging 10.6 points a game, up from 6.7 a contest a year ago.

More dramatic is his work on the boards, where he is averaging 11.2 caroms a contest. Noah's average of 7.6 a game last season was solid, but he's stepped up in that category to rank among the best in the league.

As the Bulls try once again to retool their lineup, Noah has emerged as a key player in their rotation.

1. Aaron Brooks, Houston Rockets

The Rockets are playing better than .500 basketball and remain within striking distance of the playoffs, all without Yao Ming in the lineup.

Brooks is a key reason why.

The Rockets could have folded long ago, but they continue to rack up wins and position themselves for a postseason berth.

Brooks has been outstanding, pouring in 20 points a night, up from 11.2 a game last season. His assists have jumped to 5.2, putting him squarely in the middle of the Rockets' offense nearly every time down the floor.

His shooting percentage, steals and minutes per game have all increased.

The Rockets are one of the league's sleepers, and are poised to make a Milwaukee-like climb in the Western Conference next year.

For this season, they've been better than expected, earning Brooks our nod as the league's most improved player with one month to go until the playoffs.