Every NBA season, we've seen growth across the entire league not only pertaining to teams taking a step in the right direction, but players ascending from secondary talents to primary contributors for their organization. This upcoming season, many players will once again prove that their hard work during the offseason paid off, as a slew of new candidates will emerge in the race for the NBA's Most Improved Player award.
Just last season, Lauri Markkanen, Mikal Bridges, Tyrese Haliburton, Desmond Bane and a handful of others took a massive leap forward and are now either All-Star talents or on the edge of becoming an All-Star. Roles and contributions are constantly changing every single year, which is why the 2023-24 NBA season will usher in a new group of talents who are ready to begin their journey to stardom.
While one can pull up the NBA Top 100 players list and break down who the best of the best are, it is the diamonds in the rough who really elevate a franchise. Injuries occur throughout the season, players come and go via trades and free agency, and sometimes players take on new leadership positions for their team. Whatever the case may be, there will be plenty of improved players during the 2023-24 season.
However, only one of them can take home the Most Improved Player award when all is said and done.
Throughout the course of the NBA preseason, ClutchPoints conducted a poll featuring media members from around the country, some of whom are official voters the league uses to determine the winner of their end-of-season awards. Some cover the league at-large, while others cover individual teams. Nonetheless, each media member was asked a variety of questions pertaining to the playoffs, NBA Finals, and individual player awards and accolades.
ClutchPoints' Full NBA Preseason Media Poll
Most Valuable Player | Rookie of the Year | Most Improved Player| Coach of the Year
Sixth Man of the Year | Defensive Player of the Year | NBA Finals/Playoffs/season predictions
Most likely to be a first-time All-Star
Many answers were given and there was a wide array of talent to choose from, but the media believes there is a favorite for this upcoming season's Most Improved Player award. Despite being surrounded by two superstar talents, this player has made a name for himself and could very well be the key to his team winning another championship.
Below are the results from the voting that took place for 2023-24 NBA Most Improved Player.
ClutchPoints' 2023-24 NBA Most Improved Player Media Poll results
1. Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers) – 24%
T-2. Mikal Bridges (Brooklyn Nets) – 16%
T-2. Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons) – 16%
3. Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers) – 12%
Also receiving votes: Cam Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Jaden McDaniels (Minnesota Timberwolves), Jabari Smith Jr. (Houston Rockets), Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Austin Reaves for Most Improved Player
Once thought to be a second-round pick, Austin Reaves ended up going undrafted in 2021. A hard-working, physical guard who does not stray away from contact, the Los Angeles Lakers knew right away that they had signed a young player who had a chance to be special.
Reaves put together a fantastic 2022-23 campaign following his rookie season, as he averaged 13.0 points and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 52.9 percent from the floor and 39.8 percent from three-point range in his second year. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis constantly dealing with injuries, it was Reaves who kept things together for the Lakers. Without him, they may not have made the playoffs and advanced to the Western Conference Finals like they did.
In the preseason media poll, Reaves received 24 percent of the vote in what turned out to be a really tight race against Brooklyn Nets wing Mikal Bridges and Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham. While they may be the focal points for their respective teams, Reaves is now the third star on the Lakers. He understands his role to perfection and can play with or without the ball in his hands, which makes him a key weapon in a LeBron-led offense.
An instant fan favorite in Los Angeles, Reaves has truly embodied what it means to be a Laker. Reaves' work ethic and constant persistence to pursue greatness resonates with his teammates and fan base, which is why he is viewed so highly around the league. Although there are still those who doubt him, the 25-year-old is focused only on growing his game and making his team even better than they are.
“People have told me, a lot of people try to compare it to the Jeremy Lin situation. For me, that's the stuff that keeps me wanting to get better and that's the reason I've gotten to where I am,” Reaves told ClutchPoints this offseason. “I've said many times I want to be able to, when I'm done, just look back and tell everybody to f–k off. Like, I did this and I didn't do it the conventional way. It took me the long route. There was a hard way, you know, undrafted, two-way, regular contract, and then stuff panning out. But that'll never change, that mindset will always be there.”
As far as gunning for the Most Improved Player award, Reaves is certainly on this watchlist after his breakout campaign and after participating in the 2023 FIBA World Cup with Team USA. Representing the national team, the Lakers guard continued to put himself in the spotlight, as he was one of the most consistent players even though he came off the bench in every game.
Expectations are high on Reaves as he prepares for his third season in the league. How he handles the pressure and spotlight will be very telling as to if he can truly become a star for the Lakers.
The next steps for Mikal Bridges, Cade Cunningham
As soon as he was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Brooklyn Nets last season, Mikal Bridges unlocked his star potential. Finally being able to step out from the shadows of Devin Booker and Chris Paul, Bridges became the focal point for the Nets and now enters the 2023-24 season as a player to watch in terms of making his first All-Star Game appearance.
Playing in 27 games with Brooklyn, Bridges averaged 26.1 points and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor and 37.6 percent from three-point range. No matter how you look at it, Bridges' numbers with the Nets scream star-like potential, which is why he is going to be in the running for Most Improved Player.
In fact, Bridges has already been mentioned as a Most Improved Player candidate, as he finished fourth in the voting for the award last season behind Lauri Markkanen, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Brunson.
A two-way wing who can play anywhere and guard anyone on the floor, Bridges received 16 percent of the vote in this preseason media poll. Right alongside him also receiving 16 percent of the vote was former Rookie of the Year finalist Cade Cunningham.
Detroit has lived near the bottom of the league standings in recent years, but they have shown signs of improvement. Cunningham has played a part in their potential beginning to show. Unfortunately, his season was cut short to just 12 games last year due to a leg injury that required surgery. Fully healthy and ready for the challenge that awaits him, Cunningham will once again look to showcase his All-Star potential on one of the youngest teams in the league.
Both Bridges and Cunningham are two players who could become first-time All-Stars this upcoming year, something that is significant to the Most Improved Player award. Each of the last four recipients of the award earned their first All-Star honors the same year they were named Most Improved Player, and this has been the case with six of the last seven winners dating back to Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2017.
If Bridges or Cunningham are named All-Stars during the 2023-24 season, they will surely be in the running for the Most Improved Player award.
Tyrese Maxey, Cam Johnson highlight sleeper picks
Tyrese Maxey is an obvious sleeper pick for the Most Improved Player award heading into the new season simply because of all the uncertainty surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers. The soon-to-be 23-year-old guard has improved each season in the league and could very much step into an All-Star-like role if James Harden is traded. Maxey received 12 percent of the vote in the media poll.
Cam Johnson, Jaden McDaniels and Jabari Smith Jr. each received 8 percent of the vote and find themselves in unique situations.
Next to Bridges, Johnson is set to be the Nets' No. 2 scoring option. And like Bridges, Johnson's offensive production has increased since being traded to Brooklyn. For Smith, he enters his second season in the league after a great showing in Summer League and during the preseason. The Houston Rockets finally have veteran talents around their youth, which should bode well for the recent third overall pick to settle into his role as a scoring option on the wing.
Looking at McDaniels and his role with the Timberwolves, it will be interesting to see how he approaches the 2023-24 season given the team has not yet extended him on a new long-term deal. A versatile defender who received some consideration for the All-Defensive Team last season, McDaniels enters a pivotal year.
Desmond Bane and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were the two other talents to be featured in the preseason media poll, each receiving a single vote.
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