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Cavs: Larry Nance Jr.’s top competition for Most Improved Player

By Tyler Marling

Cleveland Cavaliers big Larry Nance Jr. and wing Cedi Osman celebrate after a win over the Indiana Pacers. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Cleveland Cavaliers big Larry Nance Jr. and wing Cedi Osman celebrate after a win over the Indiana Pacers. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Charlotte Hornets Terry Rozier (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

#2 – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was a vital piece on an upstart Los Angeles Clippers team that took the Golden State Warriors to six games in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs last season.

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This season he is projected to start at shooting guard for the Thunder after they acquired him in the Paul George trade. The Thunder also acquired veteran point guard Chris Paul in the Russell Westbrook trade to the Houston Rockets.

Paul could eat into Gilgeous-Alexander’s usage early in the season, however, if Paul shows once again that he can be a top-flight point guard, and the Thunder start off poorly, he will likely be traded, which would open up more ballhandling responsibilities for Gilgeous-Alexander.

In his rookie season with the Clippers, per Basketball-Reference, Gilgeous-Alexander had per-36 minute averages of 14.7 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.8 rebounds.

#1 – Terry Rozier – Charlotte Hornets

Ohio’s very own Terry Rozier tops the list of top threats to Larry Nance winning the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. Rozier has been buried on the bench for most of his career up to this point.

The 2017-18 season was a great look at Rozier’s ability when he helped propel the Boston Celtics to within one game of the NBA Finals, after Kyrie Irving re-aggravated a knee injury, before getting knocked off by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In the 2017-18 playoffs, as the starting point guard, per Basketball-Reference, Rozier had per-game averages of 16.5 points, 5.7 assists, and 5.3 rebounds.

Rozier is now the top dog in Charlotte and will initiate the offense the majority of the time for an on-paper, bad Hornets team.

If Rozier can get back to his 2017-18 playoff form he will be very tough to beat out for the NBA Most Improved Player award after he averaged just 9.0 points and 2.9 assists last season per Basketball-Reference.

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Larry Nance Jr. could be a vital piece of the Cavaliers rebuild as they have him locked up on a very team-friendly deal that extends through the 2022-23 season and averages only $11.2 million per season according to Spotrac. If he can continue to improve on his deficiencies as he did a year ago, he will be a top competitor for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.