Cavs: Larry Nance Jr.’s top competition for Most Improved Player
#4 – Zach Collins – Portland Trail Blazers
Portland big man Zach Collins is on the verge of breaking out. With Jusuf Nurkic out for the foreseeable future, he will be competing with Hassan Whiteside for playing time. Whiteside’s career has been anything but stable meaning Collins could be in line for some big minutes.
Collins has yet to see heavy minutes in his two years out of Gonzaga. His second season saw a slight increase in minutes per game according to Basketball-Reference when he averaged 17.6 minutes a night.
His per-36 minutes line up very favorably with Miami Heat big man Bam Adebayo and Collins has a higher ceiling offensively because of his ability to stretch the floor a little better than Adebayo.
Last season, per Basketball-Reference Collins had per-36 minute averages of 13.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. He also shot 33.1% from three.
#3 – Collin Sexton – Cleveland Cavaliers
Believe it or not, Nance’s very own teammate, Collin Sexton, is one of the top threats to his run at the NBA Most Improved Player award.
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Sexton started off very slowly last season and really struggled with consistency but once the All-Star break concluded, he showed a massive jump in his game.
Post-All-Star break, over the final 23 games, per Basketball-Reference, Sexton had per-game averages of 21.7 points on 45.1% shooting.
The addition of first-round draft pick Darius Garland could eat into Sexton’s usage, but he will still see a lot of minutes as the primary ball-handler. If he can sustain his post-All-Star break performance of last year for an entire season, he will be right in the thick of things for the NBA Most Improved Player award.
The questionable fit with Garland could lead to some growing pains in the Cleveland backcourt and could limit Sexton’s impact early on in the season. The Cavaliers also have quite a few ball-dominant players and quite a few guards to split minutes with which could also limit Sexton’s output, at least until a few of the expiring veteran pieces are dealt to other teams.
Jordan Clarkson and Brandon Knight can both be valuable bench pieces to a contender and also have very enticing contracts. For Sexton to have any chance at this award, it may take one or both of those players being moved.