What do Kevin Love, Paul George, Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, C.J. McCollum and Giannis Antetokounmpo have in common? All made drastic improvements on their game during the early years of their career, earning themselves the NBA Most Improved Player award.
With the new NBA season comes a new beginning. The same is true for these three point guards who were unable to unleash their full potential last season. But many analysts believe they are bound to have a breakthrough performance this coming 2017-18 NBA Season which could possibly earn them a chance at the Most Improved Player award.
Reggie Jackson (DET)
After leaving the shadows of Russell Westbrook, the 27-year old 6’3” Reggie Jackson showed brilliance comparable to superstar status. After suiting up for the Detroit Pistons, his scoring and assist outputs drastically increased.
However, injury kept him from achieving greater heights last season. Jackson missed the first 21 games due to treating left knee tendinitis and an ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) sprain of his right thumb. He also missed the last nine games of the season with the same knee injury. He is expected to be ready when the new NBA season starts this October.
With the addition of defensive-minded Avery Bradley, Jackson could focus on orchestrating the offense.
And with three aggressive big men manning the baseline -- Andre Drummond, Tobias Harris and Jon Leuer, we could see more lob passes and highlight dunks from the bad boys of Detroit.
Jeremy Lin (BKN)
His season was cut short because of injuries. Nevertheless, Jeremy Lin proved that if he could drive and slash to the basket, he can also shoot from the outside.
When healthy, the man behind “Linsanity” was far more dangerous now than his old self. ESPN Real Plus-Minus (RPM) and Offensive Real Plus-Minus (OPRM) for point guard position list him at 23rd and 24th, respectively.
With the addition of D'Angelo Russell, Allen Crabbe, DeMarre Carroll and Timofey Mozgov, some game analysts think that the Brooklyn Nets are one of the dark horses of the Eastern Conference.
The team’s composition closely resembles the quickness, aggressiveness, and tenacity of the Golden State Warriors. And should we see the rebirth of “Linsanity,” we might see the Nets back in the playoffs.
Patrick Beverley (LAC)
Patrick Beverley's arrival in Los Angeles would bring continuity to the alley-oops and thunderous jams and pick-and-rolls. There could be more to that as Beverly will resume his natural position as a point guard, more passing and slicing through defenders rather than scoring. Plus, the Clippers have Lou Williams to contribute in that department.
Orchestrating offense would be easier with the towering presence of DeAndre Jordan, the human-highlight Blake Griffin and the newly-acquired Danilo Gallinari (via trade).
For Beverly, this is his time to come out from the shadows of James Harden.
However, Beverly’s scenario could be a little tricky as Most Improved Player awardees all increased their scoring average per game. But if Beverly is able to drastically increase his assist average per game and the Los Angeles Clippers compile win after win, there’s always a first time.
