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Lakers slip, Thunder back in top 10

The Most Improved Player award tends to be an unpredictable vote. That's certainly the case this season, as the year-to-year change from many players has
Chris Mannix|

The Most Improved Player award tends to be an unpredictable vote. That's certainly the case this season, as the year-to-year change from many players has dramatically altered their team's ranking and playoff outlook.

Some voters cast their ballot for the player who made the jump from star to superstar. Those who voted for Dwight Howard last season will likely cast their ballot for Kevin Durant this year.

Others see the MIP award as belonging to the player who has surged out of relative obscurity to become a bona fide star. Those voters will likely sign Aaron Brooks' name to their ballot.

Several other players will pick up votes, too. San Antonio's George Hill deserves attention for picking up the slack for Tony Parker; Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook will get votes for adding a mid-range shot to his game and teaming with Durant to lead the Thunder's turnaround (they climbed to seventh in this week's rankings); and Milwaukee's Ersan Ilyasova -- who struggled in his first stint in the NBA, in 2006-07, before playing overseas for two seasons -- will be a popular choice for his role in the Bucks' surprising season.

(All stats and records are through April 4.)

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Chris Mannix
CHRIS MANNIX

Chris Mannix is a senior writer at Sports Illustrated covering the NBA and boxing beats. He joined the SI staff in 2003 following his graduation from Boston College. Mannix is the host of SI’s “Open Floor” podcast and serves as a ringside analyst and reporter for DAZN Boxing. He is also a frequent contributor to NBC Sports Boston as an NBA analyst. A nominee for National Sportswriter of the Year in 2022, Mannix has won writing awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America and the Pro Basketball Writers Association, and is a longtime member of both organizations.

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