Basketball Free For All

As we arrive at the mid-point of the season, it becomes apparent that the early season success of a few players is more than just a fluke hot start. These players may have been decent contributors in the past but never gained mainstream attention outside of their own team’s fan base. These are the players that should be considered for the Most Improved Player Award.

Maybe it’s increased playing time, a coaching change or an injury to a star player that opens the door for an increased role. Or, maybe it is simply natural improvement from long hours in the gym during the offseason. Whatever the reason, these guys are playing at a high level and are demanding attention from both their NBA peers and the fans. Last season, Pacers forward and franchise player, Danny Granger, took the honors, averaging a fantasy-friendly line of 25.8 points on .447/.878 percent shooting, 2.7 threes, 5.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.4 blocks and 2.5 turnovers.

This year, there are a number of worthy candidates who have stepped up their respective games and become household names in the process. Channing Frye has played at a very high level after his disappointing stint in Portland and Kevin Durant has somehow managed to expand his game even further, willing the Thunder into the playoff picture a few seasons too early. When talking about the most improved player this year, however, two names should be included in the discussion: Houston’s Carl Landry and Memphis’ Marc Gasol.

Carl Landry has done an amazing job of playing the role of a potent offensive force off the bench with Yao Ming hurt and Tracy McGrady in purgatory. He is third in the League in points scored in the fourth quarter (just over six points) bested only by Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James. His efficient scoring has been a major factor behind the continued success of the young Rockets team, with Landry’s field goal percentage of .552 good for ninth in the League and his true shooting percentage of .625 good for seventh.

The somewhat dimunutive forward (listed as 6′9”) has become the spark plug off the bench for the curiously successful and star-less Houston Rockets. Playing in limited minutes (27.2 minutes per game), Landry has taken on the role of not only providing an offensive boost for his team but is also staking his claim on the defensive end of the court as well. His season averages of 16.4 points on .551/.853 percent shooting, 0.0 threes, 5.4 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.5 steals, 0.9 blocks and 1.7 turnovers (bold denotes career highs). Just imagine if he was seeing over 35 minutes per night. Or, just look at his per-36 minute averages, which come out to 21.4 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Despite all of this, his offensive numbers have dipped slightly in January. This is probably the result of the fact that teams are now more aware of Landry’s offensive potential and go-to crunch time scorer status. He is showing up more prominently in the pre-game scouting reports and is routinely seeing double teams now when he gets near the paint. However, Landry has managed to adjust his game to the increased defensive pressure by cutting his turnovers and keeping nearly the same assist rate in January.

Landry has become an important part of the Rockets rebuilding effort and should be a fixture in their future as a result. He is tougher than bullets and is about as resilient as they come. His high-caliber play this season combined coupled with team success should make him an ideal candidate for Most Improved Player Award consideration.

Next up on the MIP watch list is the other Gasol brother, Marc. When the Grizzlies’ brain trust decided to make the mega-deal that sent Pau Gasol to Los Angeles and forever shifted the balance of power in the West in the process, few of Memphis’ faithful were excited about the prospect of receiving Pau’s younger brother as the main compensation for their All-Star power forward/center. Marc was treated as the red-headed step child to Pau’s first born status and was not believed to be as skilled or athletically gifted as his older sibling. In fact, Marc has a bigger frame than his older brother, making him more of a true center than his brother.

Despite the public lashing of Memphis General Manager Chris Wallace from both Grizzlies fans and league executives alike, Marc has done a nice job of proving his worth. In fact, he is beginning to force people to reconsider the “lopsided” deal that caused outrage throughout the League when it was announced (Lakers fans excluded, of course).

As the starting center for the Grizz, Marc has improved his game in basically all facets from his rookie year (which wasn’t too shabby either). In just over 35 minutes per game, he currently averages 15.1 points on .604/.692 percent shooting, 0.0 threes, 9.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists,  1.0 steals, 1.6 blocks and 2.1 turnovers (bold denotes career highs). Coming into the season, it was apparent Gasol had not only worked on his game in the off season but he also put in some major work in the gym getting his conditioning right and losing the excess weight. He looks like he is no longer frequenting the local McDonalds and has become a prime physical specimen, distancing himself from Glen Davis comparisons.

As a result, little Gasol has taken his offensive game to the next level and is scoring very efficiently from the field. He leads the league in true shooting percentage at .643 and is second in field goal percentage at .604. He has also become an effective post presence and defensive game changer. This season, he is more comfortable playing with his back to the basket, is blocking more shots and has an impressive 20.6 percent defensive rebounding rate.

The Grizzlies have become one of the better story lines of the 2009-10 season, to the surprise of, well, pretty much everyone. After starting out a dismal 1-8 they have gone 23-11 since. The failed Allen Iverson experiment is now in the rear-view mirror and this young squad is starting to make some noise in the wild, wild West. The Grizzlies are showing a more team-oriented play by nearly every major contributor on the team (Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, Zach Randolph) and Marc is no exception. A ton of credit has to be given to head coach Lionel Hollins (Coach of the Year Award perhaps?) for turning this young squad around over the past couple of seasons.

The simple fact that Gasol is able to co-exist in the post with Randolph should put him in the running for at least some kind of award. But to be fair, Randolph has been spectacular in his own right. He has become a model citizen (a far cry from his Jail Blazers days) and has been an extremely vital part of the team’s new-found success. It’s hard to improve on a double-double but Randolph has somehow elevated his intensity this season and is playing at an All-Star level and is even playing unselfish, team-first basketball. Paired with the more svelte Gasol 2.0, they have made quite the front court tandem that could lead the Grizzlies to their first playoff birth since the 2005-06 season (there has been total roster turnover since then) and could even make for a pretty tough first round draw. It’s even kind of scary when you remember the 7′3″ Hasheem Thabeet is on the bench waiting for his own time to man the paint.

Both Carl Landry and Mark Gasol have stepped their games up to a new level this season and deserved to be applauded for their hard work on and off the court. They are both playing at a high level and are contributing significantly to their respective team’s success . Both should be legitimately considered viable candidates for the Most Improved Player Award this season.