(I've tried my damnedest to ignore ESPN's Marc Stein this season, but it'd be disingenuous not to react to his recent Most Improved Player talk.)In today's edition of the Weekend Dime, Stein reveals his vote for Golden State's Andris Biedrins for Most Improved Player. I've personally made the clear-cut case for Sacramento's Kevin Martin before, and Sports Illustrated's Kelly Dwyer has also eloquently noted the vast improvements in Martin's offensive arsenal.
Everyone says this race is up for grabs, but it is not. If you watch basketball and spend more than 10 seconds looking at statistics, it's an incredibly simple choice. The explanation, after the jump.
Martin's PER has risen 6 points - from average player to possible All-Star. Biedrins' has risen 3 - from edge-of-the-rotation player to just above-average. Martin's points per 40 minutes has risen 7 points. Biedrins' has risen 3. Biedrins has become a marginally better per-possession rebounder, and Martin's per-possession rebounding has slipped slightly. Martin's shooting numbers - among the best of all NBA guards last year - have risen. Biedrin's shooting numbers - among the best of all post players last year - have stayed level.
So why has Biedrins looked so improved? Here's Stein's argument:
Yet no one else in this conversation reinvented himself like Biedrins. He averaged 3.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 0.7 blocks last season. He's now a double-double guy for a team still challenging for a playoff spot -- unlike the Kings and Celtics ...Reinvented himself? He's the exact same player - efficient but infrequent scorer, good rebounder, nice shotblocker. This so-called reinvention? His minutes have doubled! He played 14.6 minutes per game last year, and he's at 29.5 this season. So yeah, it's not very shocking his box-score stats have doubled, too. This is not brain surgery.
Martin's minutes have increased from 26 to 35, and his box-score stats have doubled. And playoffs? Team success may be fair game for MVP and Coach of the Year races, but Most Improved? You're kidding, right? "Don Nelson is better than Mike Montgomery, Al Harrington is better than Mike Dunleavy Jr. ... let's give the award to Biedrins!" Hedo Turkoglu with a mouth full of marbles is easier to understand than that logic.
Biedrins is a very good player, and he's probably even a top 5 Most Improved candidate. But there is only one sentient choice for 2007 MIP, and it's Kevin Martin. The bad choice alone doesn't mean Stein is incapable of a responsible postseason awards voter (or, hell, basketball writer. But his asinine reasoning makes it very clear why Sacramento fans haven't deluged him with angry emails: Marc Stein is irrelevant.
(Stein's ridiculous Defensive Player of the Year picks are the nail in the coffin of sure insanity: he doesn't even mention the best defender on the league's best defensive team (Shane Battier) or the consensus best defender on the league's best team/5th best defensive team (Josh Howard). And Tim Duncan isn't in his top 3 so he can pick a guy from his alma mater. THIS GUY ACTUALLY HAS A VOTE!)
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
I don't know enough about Kevin Martin, but you seem to have a good case.
Plus, if this guy is going to pick an MIP from Golden State, why not Monta Ellis instead of Biedrins?
As much as I like how Biedrins has improved my fantasy team, I'd still choose Martin over him for the MIP.
Big Al would probably be Martin's closest competitor for that award, but that's just my opinion.
First off let me start by saying you are wildly incorrect for saying the MIP is a lock to go to Kevin Martin. While Martin has shown fast improvement and is one of the leading candidates...i find it disappointing that so many players seem to overlook the progress DERON WILLIAMS has made this year.
Deron Williams increased his Assists per game by 5 assists! he's also upped his scoring and become a centerpiece to the success of the Jazz this season. he's really proven to be one of the best point guards in the league as well.
Now its obvious Martin improved his game greatly, i dont think he has outshined deron williams to the point where u can exclaim kevin martin as the "clear cut" winner.
as you adamantly argue marc stein is crazy for picking biedrins as his MIP, i think your crazier for making it seem like kevin martin is the absolute only choice to any seemingly logical smart basketball fan to be the MIP. any smart basketball fan will tell you Deron Williams has more impact to his teams success than kevin martin.
And im not coming at kevin martin, because i personally think he is a great player with a great style of play, but i wouldnt rule him in as the only choice.
But the award has nothing to do with "Player Which Most Improved His Team" or "Most Improved Player on a Good Team." It's Most Improved Player. And the statistics show that Kevin Martin was far and away the most improved player this year. Deron Williams should probably be the 2nd or 3rd choice based on his improvement in scoring and assists. But he still hasn't changed his game the way Martin has. Martin raised his PER 6 points, which is unheard of. Williams raised his less than 5, and might be a runaway MIP winner any other year.
Martin is the clear choice if you actually look at the numbers and the game.