Top 5 Early Candidates for the NBA's Most Improved Player Award

Last year, Kevin Love moved into the starting lineup for the Minnesota Timberwolves and ran away with the Most Improved Player award after a phenomenal season, while posting historic numbers.

This year's candidates aren't nearly on that level, but are impressive nonetheless. Here are my top five early candidates for this season's Most Improved Player.

5. JaVale McGee

This year, JaVale McGee is finally starting to become the player that everyone thought he would be coming out of the University of Nevada in 2008. He showed a lot of promise in his first few seasons, but was always inconsistent from game to game, showing flashes of his immense potential on both ends of the floor.

Although McGee's overall basketball IQ and basic basketball skills leave much to be desired, he is among the top 10 in several categories, including dunks and rebounds, and he is leading the league in blocks per game and total blocks this season.

Let's just hope he continues to add more substance to his game, rather than relying on his uncanny athleticism.

2010-2011 season statistics (79 games, 75 starts): 10.1 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.8 bpg, 55 percent shooting in 27.8 minutes per game

2011-2012 season statistics (14 games, 14 starts): 11.6 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.0 bpg, 51.4 percent shooting in 29.4 minutes per game

4. Gerald Henderson

You know how you can tell a player has improved? When the team doesn't win if he doesn't play well.

The Charlotte Bobcats are 3-2 when Gerald Henderson scores 18 or more points, and are 0-10 when he scores less than 18 points. It seems like when this guy is going, the Bobcats are a much more dangerous team, and now that Henderson is getting more playing time, maybe that will equal more W's for Michael Jordan's team.

The guy is an old school, mid-range assassin and can finish at the rim with frightening explosiveness. In only his third NBA season, Junior is already looking like a better player than his dad was.

2010-2011 season statistics (68 games, 30 starts): 9.6 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 45.4 percentage shooting in 24.4 minutes per game

2011-2012 season statistics (15 games, 15 starts): 15.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, 46.8 percentage shooting in 35.5 minutes per game

3. Greg Monroe

Centers from Georgetown University have a long lineage of success at the professional level, and it seems that Greg Monroe and Roy Hibbert will continue that trend into the next decade.

Greg Monroe was, without question, the third best rookie in the NBA last year behind Blake Griffin and John Wall, and his sophomore campaign appears to be his breakout season.

Monroe may be overlooked due to the fact that he is on a losing team, but he has been the only consistent player on the Detroit Pistons roster thus far and is arguably their best player.

Monroe can do nothing but get better at this point (though I feel his shot-blocking can improve), and if the Pistons are able to assemble some pieces around him, another era of basketball dominance may emerge in the Motor City.

2011-2012 season statistics (80 games, 48 starts): 9.4 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 0.6 bpg, 55.1 percent shooting in 27.8 minutes per game

2011-2012 season statistics (15 games, 15 starts): 16.1 ppg, 9.4 rpg, 2.0 apg, 0.5 bpg, 54.5 percent shooting in 32.4 minutes per game

2. Ryan Anderson

What an unbelievable story. Two years ago, Ryan Anderson was considered a throw-in when the Magic acquired "Half-Man, Half-Retired" Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets. Now, he is the second best player on the team and may be one of the only reasons Dwight Howard may not jump ship.

Anderson showed flashes of potential last season after receiving more playing time, and since Stan Van Gundy inserted him into the starting lineup this year, he has exploded, scoring 20+ points in six of their first 14 games.

Anderson is also shooting 41.4 percent from the three-point line, and may be the key to the Magic making a deep playoff run this year.

2010-2011 season statistics (64 games, 14 starts): 10.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 43 percent shooting in 22.3 minutes per game

2011-2012 season statistics (14 games, 14 starts): 17.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 44.1 percent shooting in 30.7 minutes per game

1. Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry has made the most of his opportunity as the Rockets' new floor general. It's astounding that Lowry was a backup for two years before becoming Houston's new floor general, but what's even more amazing is the numbers he is putting up since becoming the Rockets' starter last year.

Lowry is the only player this season aside from LeBron James averaging at least 16 points, seven assists, six rebounds and two steals and, in my opinion, is the third best point guard in the Western Conference—next to Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook.

Lowry deserves an All-Star nod this year, but probably won't receive one due to the competition (Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul).

If Lowry's coming-out party this year is a sign of things to come, he will probably become the most complete point guard in the league, and is my undisputed choice so far for Most Improved Player.

2010-2011 season statistics (75 games, 71 starts): 13.5 ppg, 6.7 apg, 4.1 rpg, 1.4 spg, 42.6 percent shooting in 34.2 minutes per game

2011-2012 season statistics (13 games, 13 starts): 16.7 ppg, 8.6 apg, 6.7 rpg, 2.2 spg, 42.5 percent shooting in 36.5 minutes per game

Conclusion

I know I probably left some people off who deserve to be on here, but everything is always up for debate. Comment and let me know what you think at the bottom of the page.

Feedback and criticism are welcome.