2015 NBA All-Improvement Team
The NBA's Most Improved Player award is always one of the most fun to speculate about since no one actually knows who should qualify.
Some years, the honor goes to a player who didn't actually do much improving, but instead maintained his level of play while receiving far more run. Other times, it goes to someone who actually did make substantial leaps on both ends of the floor.
Does it have to be awarded to a player still en route to becoming a star? Can someone such as Stephen Curry win despite already enjoying celestial status?
Here, everyone is eligible, so long as he played more than 50 games in 2014-15 and is currently qualified for the scoring leaderboard. We're also going to remain entirely objective while selecting a squad with a traditional starting lineup, one backup at each position and one extra second-stringer in both the backcourt and frontcourt.
Total points added (TPA), which is explained in full throughout this article, is the basis of the analysis. The players featured are the ones who submitted the largest positive difference between their scores in 2014-15 and their marks in 2015-16, which have been prorated to account for the entire season. TPA estimates how many more points the player in question would provide than an average contributor, and it accounts for performances on both offense and defense.
It doesn't matter if a player goes from horrible to decent, decent to good, good to great, or 2014-15 Curry to 2015-16 Curry. If a player's TPA improves enough, he is going to be featured, and there's only one exception.
Players must be on pace to submit positive scores this season. Our apologies to Zach LaVine, Lance Thomas and Luc Mbah a Moute, all of whom would otherwise have qualified as honorable mentions at their respective positions.
Starting Point Guard: Kyle Lowry
1 of 12
Team: Toronto Raptors
Age: 29
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.2 blocks, 19.3 player efficiency rating, 168.01 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 20.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.6 blocks, 23.4 PER, 433.52 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-265.51
This slim version of Kyle Lowry has proved unstoppable. Few defenders have any chance to stay in front of his quick first step, and the extra energy emanating from his svelte frame allows him to stay engaged at all times.
Lowry is having the best offensive season of his career. He's taking advantage of defenders who respect his lightning-quick drives by punishing them with his perimeter jumper. He's shouldering immense responsibility while maintaining a turnover percentage of just 13.5.
The point guard is also having his finest defensive go-round. Lowry has always been a tenacious stopper, willing to put his body on the line. But now, he's also getting to his spots quickly and contesting everything in sight.
Starting Shooting Guard: Avery Bradley
2 of 12
Team: Boston Celtics
Age: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 13.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.2 blocks, 11.4 PER, minus-82.38 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 15.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.3 blocks, 14.3 PER, 69.91 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-152.29
Despite his reputation as a tenacious defender, Avery Bradley has sometimes left himself vulnerable to smart players who take advantage of his energy lapses. However, that hasn't been the case this year, and NBA.com shows the Boston 2-guard is holding his assignments to 6.9 points below their typical field-goal percentages. Last year, they actually shot 1.2 percent higher than their averages.
His offensive stats have similarly trended in the right direction, primarily because of his shooting stroke.
In 2014-15, Bradley took 4.6 three-pointers per game and hit them at a 35.2 percent clip. This year, he's taking an additional 1.2 deep tries during the average contest and connecting on 39.6 percent of them.
Starting Small Forward: Kawhi Leonard
3 of 12
Team: San Antonio Spurs
Age: 24
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.8 blocks, 22.0 PER, 242.36 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 20.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists 2.1 steals, 1.0 blocks, 27.3 PER, 493.84 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-251.48
Making the jump from burgeoning superstar to bona fide MVP candidate and overall top-five player isn't an easy transition, but Kawhi Leonard has successfully made the proverbial jump. He's now the obvious leader of the San Antonio Spurs on both ends.
Remember when shooting was the reigning Defensive Player of the Year's primary weakness? Not anymore, as he's hit 48 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.
To put Leonard's TPA jump into perspective, he finished No. 10 in the NBA last year and is on pace to more than double his points added. The improvement of 251.48 is larger than the prorated scores of all but nine players in 2015-16.
Starting Power Forward: Tobias Harris
4 of 12
Team: Orlando Magic
Age: 23
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.5 blocks, 16.7 PER, minus-13.88 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 14.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.6 blocks, 17.8 PER, 109.93 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-123.81
Don't be fooled by the scoring decline, as Tobias Harris is receiving fewer minutes and improving in virtually every other area. His numbers have risen and fallen where they should, making him an all-around commodity who has become integral to the success of the Orlando Magic.
Last year, the team was actually 2.1 points worse per 100 possessions with Harris on the floor, primarily because of his porous defense. This year, the net rating improves by 0.3 when the 23-year-old is playing.
Again, defense is the reason.
According to ESPN.com's defensive real plus-minus (DRPM), Harris ranked No. 409 in 2014-15 with a minus-2.21 DRPM. Now, his 1.0 DRPM places him at No. 110.
Starting Center: Ian Mahinmi
5 of 12
Team: Indiana Pacers
Age: 29
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 4.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.8 blocks, 10.8 PER, minus-26.7 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 8.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 1.1 blocks, 17.4 PER, 143.42 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-170.12
"He's the one guy down there occupying the paint and he doesn't get a lot of credit for how athletic he is at the center position," Paul George said about Ian Mahinmi, per Nate Taylor of IndyStar.com. "He's been exploiting matchups. It's a luxury to have a big man that can move and be versatile."
Defense has always been the big man's calling card, and he's still anchoring a stingy Pacers unit. But offense is the real reason for improvement, as he's no longer relying almost solely on putbacks and garbage buckets.
Last year, Mahinmi's offensive points added (OPA) stood at an embarrassing 84.55 below average. This year, he's on pace to be perfectly average.
Backup Point Guard: Stephen Curry
6 of 12
Team: Golden State Warriors
Age: 27
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 23.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 2.0 steals, 0.2 blocks, 28.0 PER, 529.75 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 30.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists, 2.2 steals, 0.1 blocks, 32.0 PER, 715.72 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-185.97
Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes already put together a convincing argument for why Stephen Curry should follow up last year's MVP trophy with a Most Improved Player award, writing, "The guy who was, by definition, the league's best player last season could and should be considered the front-runner for that honor again. Only now, by also proving the best can get better, he deserves Most Improved honors too."
The scoring improvement? Check. The leap into astronomical player efficiency rating (PER) territory? Check.
TPA underscores how crazy the overall surge really is. Leading the league in points added is tough enough. Following that up with an improvement as large as the current prorated scores produced by all but 19 players should be impossible.
Backup Shooting Guard: Evan Fournier
7 of 12
Team: Orlando Magic
Age: 23
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 12.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.7 steals, 12.4 PER, minus-68.17 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 14.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals, 15.1 PER, 77.24 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-145.41
Though Evan Fournier, along with basically everyone else on the Orlando Magic roster, has become stingier on the point-preventing end, the offensive improvement is just as notable. It's also easier to show, since basic stats do the trick.
Not only is the 23-year-old swingman averaging an additional 2.5 points, but he's doing so while raising his field-goal percentage from 44 to 44.2, his three-point percentage from 37.8 to 39.2 and his free-throw percentage from 72.8 to 83.1.
Throw in a rising assist percentage, a falling turnover percentage and a higher usage rate. At this point, it should be easy to see Fournier's leap on the scoring end is substantial—and likely sustainable.
Backcourt Backup: Reggie Jackson
8 of 12
Team: Detroit Pistons
Age: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 14.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.1 blocks, 17.2 PER, 31.33 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 20.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 0.1 blocks, 21.7 PER, 210.02 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-178.69
Apparently, the post-trade play in 2014-15 was sustainable.
Reggie Jackson turned a corner after Detroit allowed him to blossom as a ball-controlling guard given free rein to control the offense. Now, the 25-year-old is even better when he calls his own number.
Take a peek at his offensive box plus-minus (OBPM) and defensive box plus-minus (DBPM) over the last two years:
| 2014-15 with OKC | 0.7 | -1.1 |
| 2014-15 with DET | 3.9 | -1.2 |
| 2015-16 | 4.7 | -0.6 |
One year after the Pistons traded D.J. Augustin, Kyle Singler and two second-round picks to get him, Jackson has become a legitimate contender for an Eastern Conference All-Star berth.
That alone should say it all.
Point Guard Honorable Mentions: Tony Parker (plus-164.26 TPA), Ricky Rubio (plus-138.05), Isaiah Thomas (plus-133.4), Rajon Rondo (plus-118.59), Russell Westbrook (plus-117.2)
Shooting Guard Honorable Mentions: DeMar DeRozan (plus-140.89 TPA), Kent Bazemore (plus-106.87), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (plus-103.99), Andre Iguodoala (plus-93.82), C.J. McCollum (plus-85.75)
Backup Small Forward: Jae Crowder
9 of 12
Team: Boston Celtics
Age: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 7.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks, 13.9 PER, 16.4 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 13.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.5 blocks, 15.3 PER, 176.25 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-159.85
Jae Crowder's five-year, $35 million contract will turn out to be one of the NBA's best bargains. Though little more than an afterthought in the trade that made him a Celtic, he's become a true on- and off-court leader.
One year removed from serving as an energy guy who attempted to avoid doing harm with his ineffective jumper, Crowder has blossomed into a two-way stud. He's been a legitimate lockdown defender. Despite a larger offensive burden, his true shooting percentage has jumped from 51.7 to 57.6.
In 2014-15, Crowder earned 3.9 win shares for the Dallas Mavericks and Celtics. This year, he's already produced 82.1 percent of that total in 37.8 percent of the games.
Backup Power Forward: Jordan Hill
10 of 12
Team: Indiana Pacers
Age: 28
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 12.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.7 blocks, 16.2 PER, minus-95.42 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 10.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.3 blocks, 18.0 PER, 21.7 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-117.12
Jordan Hill has become the player the Los Angeles Lakers wanted. Unfortunately for the Purple and Gold, the breakout has come one year too late, as the big man is now playing for the Indiana Pacers.
After becoming an offensive liability during his final season with the Lakers, Hill has remembered how to shoot from between 10 and 16 feet. He's also spending significantly more time around the hoop. As a result, he's reverted back to being an average offensive player who expends his energy on the glass and on defense.
It's worked, and the 28-year-old is now posting a career-best DBPM (0.9) that stands in stark contrast to 2014-15's minus-0.6.
Backup Center: Nikola Vucevic
11 of 12
Team: Orlando Magic
Age: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 19.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.7 blocks, 21.5 PER, 29.65 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.0 blocks, 23.0 PER, 176.01 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-146.36
This is another scenario in which you can't be fooled by per-game stats.
They overlook playing time—the primary reason for the decline in Nikola Vucevic's stat line. He's playing 3.4 fewer minutes per game this year, though his per-minute marks haven't shifted much at all. They also don't factor in efficiency or context, both of which point toward improvement from this 25-year-old.
Though Vucevic's true shooting percentage has fallen ever so slightly (54.8 to 54.6), his assist percentage has skyrocketed (11 to 16.5). His turnover percentage has simultaneously dropped (10.2 to 9.6). Surrounded by more effective options, the USC product has morphed into a complete threat, and the Magic have reaped the rewards.
Frontcourt Backup: Will Barton
12 of 12
Team: Denver Nuggets
Age: 24
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 6.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.3 blocks, 13.6 PER, minus-11.69 TPA
2015-16 Per-Game Stats: 16.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.5 blocks, 20.2 PER, 104.96 TPA
TPA Change: Plus-116.65
"I'd be lying if I said I saw that (coming), to be very honest. I knew he would be a spark off the bench, with his energy, his passion, his pace at which he plays. He has an attack mentality," Denver Nuggets head coach Mike Malone revealed about Will Barton, per the Denver Post's Mark Kiszla. "I did not see him scoring the way he's scoring, and more important, how efficient he's scoring and shooting the ball."
How could anyone have expected this?
Previously, there were precious few indications Barton was anything but a career backup. Now, he's one of 15 qualified players averaging at least 16 points, six rebounds and two assists with a PER north of 20.
Small Forward Honorable Mentions: C.J. Miles (plus-93.96 TPA), Omri Casspi (plus-90.62), Carmelo Anthony (plus-72.9), Wesley Johnson (plus-71.17), Otto Porter (plus-66.53)
Power Forward Honorable Mentions: Paul Millsap (plus-105.82 TPA), Kevin Love (plus-98.55), Channing Frye (plus-98.01), Dirk Nowitzki (plus-88.15), Draymond Green (plus-71.74)
Center Honorable Mentions: Hassan Whiteside (plus-83.64 TPA), Clint Capela (plus-71.92), Mason Plumlee (plus-66.3), Pau Gasol (plus-57.42), Festus Ezeli (plus-55.07)
Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.
All stats, unless otherwise indicated, are from Basketball-Reference.com or Adam's own databases and are current heading into games on Dec. 30.
