2022 midseason NBA awards ballot: Most Improved Player
- Darius Garland, Cavaliers
- Ja Morant, Grizzlies
- Desmond Bane, Grizzlies
Darius Garland showed flashes of the star he would become last season, but very few people can honestly say they thought he would be this good, this soon. Garland has gone from reliable starter to his first All-Star appearance, pacing the fifth-place Cavs (who are 1.5 games out of first place).
With averages of 19.8 points and 8.2 assists on .467/.369/.907 shooting splits, the production for Garland is undeniable. He has quickly become one of the NBA’s premier pick-and-rolls guards, blending elite pull-up shooting, advanced feel, and real confidence attacking downhill.
Ja Morant is the other candidate running neck-and-neck with Garland right now. Morant is better. In fact, he’s on a lot of people’s MVP ballot. But he also spent last season on the All-Star fringe, whereas Garland’s rise has felt somewhat more meteoric. There’s a strong case for Morant (26.3 points, 6.9 assists on .486/.342/.759 shooting), but in this particular category — where one has to consider the start-to-finish trajectory of a player’s season to season growth — Garland has the slightest edge in my humble opinion.
Desmond Bane, who is Morant’s backcourt partner in Memphis, is the other darkhorse. And, frankly, not too far behind him is Jaren Jackson Jr., as the Grizzlies’ roster-wide improvement is the reason for their lofty standing in the Western Conference. Bane was a second-round pick a couple years ago, and is now the No. 2 or 3 option for a potential championship contender.