After securing the #3 seed in the West, the Lakers have a lot to smile about, especially considering the uncertainty of their roster last October. However, as the NBA awards season approaches, JJ Redick is not too pleased with the chatter about one player being up for an award.
Upon completing the best season of his NBA career, Austin Reaves is firmly in the discussion for the league’s Most Improved Player award. In this fourth season in purple and gold, the Arkansas native put up career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and minutes with a line of 20.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 5.8 apg, and 34.9 mpg.
Los Angeles’s championship aspirations are very real, with Lebron, Luka, and company securing 50 wins for just the second time since 2011. One key to their success has been Reeves’s ascension, whose inclusion in the Most Improved Player discussion has some fans running to the sportsbooks to place their bets and cash in their Caesars promo code.
This is Reeves’ fourth season at the Crypto.com Arena and by far his most effective, hence his being linked with picking up the award. It seems, however, that J.J. Redick is not a big fan of the accolade, stating recently,
“I think the spirit of the award has been taken out of whack. I don’t like that award.”
“Just call it the ‘high draft pick that is on a max contract and now is an All-Star.’ Just call it that award. Who’s that guy? That’s what it’s become.”
Redick then added on Reeves’ chances,
“He’s not gonna win it, but I’ve sung his praises all year.”
Indeed, the favorite to win the award for many is Cade Cunningham, who has impressed with the Detroit Pistons, but he too has been seen as an unworthy recipient, this time by Miami Heat forward Kyle Anderson, who commented,
“Cade Cunningham? Stop giving it to No. 1 and No. 2 picks. They’re doing what they’re supposed to be doing.”
Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks is another who is high up in the running for the prize, and his total of 226 steals is the best total this century, overcoming Allen Iverson’s tally for 2003.
Trae Young, Dyson’s Hawks’ teammate, has labeled the 22-year-old Australian,
“Dyson’s the best defender I’ve seen with my own two eyes,” which is high praise.
Dyson certainly has the focus needed from a player seeking out the top honors, stating of his ethos,
“I get more pride when I keep my man to a 25% shooting night, and maybe I get three steals and a block.”
“That’s a good night for me. If my guy is going off, shooting 65%, scoring 30 points, then I didn’t do my job that night.”
Hawks head coach Quin Snyder has also highlighted Dyson’s importance to what Atlanta is trying to achieve.
“There are some ways we’re able to objectively keep track of good defenders, like steals and blocked shots,”
“There are also other things like beating through the screens to keep your man out of the lane so they don’t generate an advantage. You have to watch the game a little more to see those things. I think that’s harder with the perimeter player. We all focus on the ball when it goes to the rim. You see those things with the rim protector, not the perimeter defender.”
“In Dyson’s case, his consistency and focus is just always there.”
It appears it will take some beating for any other individual to overtake Dyson in the running for Most Improved Player, not least as we are very close to the competition of the regular season, which is when the prizes are handed out.
