End of Season Thunder Awards: Most Improved Player
Several players stepped up their games this season to help propel the Oklahoma City Thunder far past expectations and into the postseason, but there is one name that stood out amongst the rest: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
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After averaging 24.5 points per game last year, the lead guard enjoyed a massive jump in efficiency, morphed into a top-five scorer in the NBA, and quite literally became the driving force behind the Thunder’s offense. Gilgeous-Alexander’s leap in production didn’t stop there, though, as he also shouldered more responsibility on the other end of the floor, posting a career-high in steal and block percentages.
As a result of his improved play, Gilgeous-Alexander enjoyed his first All-Star appearance and finished second in voting for the Most Improved Player Award while earning 24 first-place votes. He also led his team to one win shy of securing the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoff picture despite the Thunder’s collective inexperience.
Suffice it to say, Gilgeous-Alexander deserves the Thunder’s Most Improved Player Award this season after averaging 31.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists per game while shooting 51% from the floor, 34.5% from downtown, and 90.5% from the charity stripe.
Runner Up: Josh Giddey
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It’s common for a lot of second year players to suffer from a sophomore slump — a decline in production or stagnation in development after finding some success as a rookie.
But Josh Giddey, the Thunder’s sixth overall pick in 2021, showed significant progress throughout the season, blowing away his rookie numbers after adjusting his game to attack closeouts with more aggression and get to the rim more often.
And most importantly, he figured out how to put the ball through the hoop.
Giddey knocked down 48.2% of his shots compared to just 41.9% last year. The improved efficiency comes after working with well-renowned shooting coach, Chip Engelland, who appears to have helped the Aussie improve upon his pull-up, catch-and-shoot, and at-rim shots.
All in all, the Australian playmaker made a huge leap of his own this season, averaging more points, rebounds, blocks, and free throw attempts while improving upon his assist-to-turnover rate from last year and showing a 5.5% increase in true shooting percentage.
Honorable Mentions
Only one player on the roster is more deserving of an honorable mention than fifth-year forward, Kenrich Williams.
Sure, his statistics might not look sexy on paper and they might not be totally representative of some huge improvement, but if you paid attention this season, Williams’ passing, 3-point shooting, and overall ancillary skills shone bright relative to previous seasons.
Not to mention his combination of tenacity and attention-to-detail on defense and how that leadership reverberated throughout the roster. Williams led the league with 26 charges drawn before a wrist injury caused him to miss the last 20 games.
What stands out the most, however, is the fact that Williams always seemed to step his game up, no matter what, when the Thunder needed him the most. Whether they required a big bucket, a needed defensive stop, or asked him to play center, Williams was reliable.
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