Kevin Martin not Most Improved Player

I saw this link on True Hoop and it is a easy argument to make: Kevin Martin appears to be a no-brainer lock for Most Improved Player, much like Boris Diaw last season.

Of course, anyone who reads my blogs knows I did not agree with Diaw's selection either. Obviously, two other candidates, Golden State's Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins are flawed as well, as they fit the change in environment (coach/system) category. In short, they are not necessarily improved, but fit better in Don Nelson's system and the way they are being used.

Kevin Martin, when he received consistent minutes due to Bonzi Wells'injury last season, illustrated brief glimpses of the type of brilliance he has exhibited all season this year. In fact, he played well enough that the Kings allowed their #1 player from the play-offs to depart as a free agent. So, now that he is receiving consistent minutes and playing brilliantly, is he improved?

Right now, Carlos Boozer, Emeka Okafur and Zach Randolph would be near the top of my list. Boozer played terribly last year, when he was not injured, and was shopped all off-season; Randolph was shopped all off-season; and Okafur was a giant disappointment after his ROY season. Of these choices, Boozer would be my choice, as Randolph was returning from knee surgery and Okafur is in his third season, when players are supposed to make their big improvement.

Another likely candidate is the Lakers' Andrew Bynum, but he, too, is flawed as a candidate. He is in his second year and therefore should improve by leaps and bounds, especially since he was drafted at 17. A better choice would be the Sonics' Luke Ridnour, a player who has always been well-regarded, but who never finished games because his coach trusted journeymen Antonio Daniels and then Earl Watson. Ridnour, in his fourth season (with steady progression, so he, too, is flawed) is averaging four more ppg (15.5ppg); his FG% has improved from 41.8% to 50.3% and his 3-point % from 29% to 44%. More importantly, his coach has confidence to play him in crunch time.

Following the Boris Diaw-train, former Atlanta Hawk J.R. Smith is another change of scenery candidate. He's also in his third year, so he too should be improving. Between the change of scenery, the normal improvement of a player in year 3 and the confidence boost from playing with Melo, Smith's improvement is not shocking (though the Bulls giving him away was) nor deserving of the award.

Heck, with the draft day discussion about the follies of drafting Renadlo Balkman in the first round, maybe he deserves mention.

At this point, however, while there are certainly several choices, Luke Ridnour and Carlos Boozer are my top candidates because their performances have improved, not because they went from year two to year three or because they are in a more conducive system or because they are getting more minutes, but because they actually have stepped-up their performance when many thought they had already peaked or stagnated.