Milwaukee Bucks: Who Deserves the Most Improved Player Award?

At this point last season, the Milwaukee Bucks were 15-23 and struggling. This time around the team is 20-18. Why? Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

From the jump this season, the two cornerstones of the Milwaukee Bucks’ franchise have been phenomenal. Both have improved dramatically and are making significant pushes towards different awards. For Giannis, he is the fifth-highest vote-getter in the entire NBA for an All-Star Game invite as well as being in consideration for a potential MVP award.

Jabari, on the other hand, has cracked the leaderboard in votes for the Eastern Conference starting frontcourt, although he is very much a long-shot. But what do both players have in common?

Both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker have legitimate, if not the best, odds to win the Most Improved Player Award for the 2016-2017 NBA season. 

Without Khris Middleton for any games so far, the “Cornerstones” have been called upon to a large percentage of the scoring for the Bucks, and have answered the call with volume and efficiency. With Giannis at 28.7 percent and Jabari at 25.9 percent, the two players lead the roster in usage rate, and deservedly so.

While combining to average exactly 44.0 points per game, the duo makes up 41.9% of the team’s total point output per game. And while these numbers are great, it is how the two have improved, both separately and together that makes them great candidates to potentially win the MIP award.

For a look at what the possibilities are for these players to be in contention, let’s take a look at the following: the history of the award, the individual improvement from JP and GA, as well as looking at which player is most deserving this year around the halfway mark.