As the 2023-2024 National Basketball Association season creeps closer, we continue our look at the end-of-the-season awards and what are some of the best NBA bets. Today, we want to give you the Most Improved Player. The list of former winners is impressive. Dating back to 2017, when Giannis Antetokounmpo won it, Victor Oladipo, Pascal Siakam, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Ja Morant, and Lauri Markkanen all took the award. All but Siakam in 2019 scored 20+ points per game to win the award. Let’s look at the market for NBA most improved player specials.
Odds to win NBA Most Improved Player
| Player | Odds to win MIP |
| Mikal Bridges | +700 |
| Tyrese Maxey | +1200 |
| Cade Cunningham | +1200 |
| Austin Reaves | +1400 |
| Alperen Segun | +1600 |
| Evan Mobley | +2000 |
| Jordan Poole | +2000 |
| Scottie Barnes | +2000 |
| Josh Giddey | +2000 |
| Shaedon Sharpe | +2000 |
| Jalen Williams | +2000 |
| Tyus Jones | +2000 |
| Paolo Banchero | +2000 |
Favourites to win the NBA Most Improved Player
Mikal Bridges +700
Bridges was traded towards the end of the 2022-2023 season from the Phoenix Suns to the Brooklyn Nets. In those 27 games, he increased his scoring average to 26.1 points per game. This is a guy that is going to get all sorts of opportunities to score in Brooklyn.
The Brooklyn Nets will need someone to take over the game, and this is the type of player that can do it and ultimately win this award. The comeback story may not quite be there, but a big improvement is the key here.
Tyrese Maxey +1200
With or without James Harden, this is a dude that is set to take off in 2023-2024. Last season, Maxey played 33 minutes per game and scored 20 points per game.
Why can’t he be in the Shai Gilgeous Alexander-type situation where he just takes over as the top-scoring guard in Philadelphia 76ers and gets to 26-28 points per game? That’s a big jump and would be one worthy of taking down this award.
Maxey is listed at +1200, but the unknown of what Harden will be doing keeps the 22-year-old odds in question. There is no doubt when you look at NBA Player stats for the season, Maxey is going to make his way up the scoring leaders.
Cade Cunningham +1200
The Detroit Pistons have a superstar on their hands. The first season for Cunningham was riddled with NBA injuries. This is a guy that is at the top of most people’s lists when you look at guys that can go from really good players into the superstar category next season.
The new head coach in Detroit is Monty Williams, and he seems like just the guy that can get him there. A season ago, despite all the injuries, Cunningham scored more than 17 points per game. There is certainly a path for Cunningham to be over 25 per game next season. If you’re into preseason NBA predictions, the Pistons are a fringe playoff team for many.
Austin Reaves +1400
The Los Angeles Lakers took care of Reaves in the off-season. He signed a deal worth over $53M over four years. Now, it’s time for Reaves to make a move as a star in this league.
He missed close to 20 games a season ago and scored 13 points per game. The 25-year-old seems to be ready to bust out for nearly 20 per game this season. The guy can shoot the ball, and his swagger on the court already puts him as a fan favorite. Reaves should be thriving, knowing he does not have many opportunities left with LeBron James before he may have to take over the team himself.
Alperen Sengun +1600
We cannot go any further in the NBA most improved player specials without this guy on the list. The 21-year-old from Turkey is ready to burst onto the scene from the Houston Rockets.
The Rockets added some help to the roster in the offseason, so that should help get Sengun more opportunities. He went from 9.6 in his rookie year to 14.8 last season. There is no reason he cannot be over 20 points per game in 2023-2024. His rebound numbers were at nine last year, but this is a double/double guy. 20/10 is not out of the picture here. He has been durable so far, missing just 17 games combined over his first two seasons.
Others in Consideration:
Here are some more NBA odds for the list:
- Evan Mobley +2000
- Jordan Poole +2000
- Scottie Barnes +2000
- Josh Giddey +2000
- Shaedon Sharpe +2000
- Jalen Williams +2000
- Tyus Jones +2000
- Paolo Banchero +2000
There you have it. Some names of the candidates for the 2023-2024 award. We hope this gave you a good idea of the guys that seem to be front runners for the award. Of course, there are other options that will play out as the season moves along. Best of luck, not just with the NBA most improved player specials, but with all your betting!
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