Ryan Rollins is everything the Most Improved Player Award should be about, but he didn't even make the final cut for the voting. The three candidates up for the honor are Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Jalen Duren, and Deni Avdija. All three players have a case, without question, but Rollins not even making it to the final three is simply baffling.
Most Improved Player should mean... Most Improved Player
Rollins was a nice player in 2024-25. He burst onto the scene when the Milwaukee Bucks were injured and gave them some solid point guard play. Averaging 14.6 minutes in 56 games, including just 19 starts, the combo guard put up 6.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per matchup. Many thought he could take a leap in 2025-26, but he blew expectations out of the water.
In 74 regular season games this year, including 67 starts, Rollins was phenomenal, posting averages of 17.3 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 32.1 minutes per outing. Most nights, there was an understanding that Rollins was Milwaukee's second-best player or, if Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't playing, the best player for the Milwaukee Bucks.
The fact that Rollins went from being barely on an NBA roster to being a standard rotational player to the type of piece who can produce like this is flat-out incredible. His numbers this season compared to last year are off the charts, producing a statistical leap like few the league has ever seen. Yet, the guard's Most Improved Player case was ultimately ignored.
Other M.I.P. candidates were already established players
Alexander-Walker, Duren, and Avdija were good players entering this season. Yes, Alexander-Walker took quite the leap from role player to No. 2 option, but still, he was established. Duren and Avdija were both high draft picks who were already good and suddenly started living up to expectations, making the All-Star Team.
Meanwhile, they all beat out a former second-round pick whose NBA future was bleak before his big break in 2024-25. Did team success quietly play a role? All three finalists are indeed on playoff teams. Rollins should not be punished for playing for a dysfunctional Milwaukee Bucks team. The guard did his job and had as much success as a player in his position could.
Perhaps Rollins will have a better chance at securing this prestigious honor when he takes a leap once again next season. For now, the NBA needs to truly reevaluate what it means to be the Most Improved Player these days.
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