NBA Betting: Can Josh Giddey Compete For Most Improved Player?

The Oklahoma City Thunder is in a constant state of development. During the rebuild, every player who steps on the court has two common goals -- winning and developing.

Evidently, with such a young core, the Thunder is going to see one player take a substantial leap each season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been a product of that in years past, and now he's an All-NBA First Team guard with room to grow.

It's likely that the Thunder will continue on this cadence. The additions of Vasilije Micic, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren will make life easier for the Thunder's main talents. Josh Giddey, in particular, will benefit from these additions.

Playing with a floor-spacing big man as someone who likes to get downhill and attack the rim will be huge for Giddey. The lane will be more open, and he's going to be able to generate easy looks for Holmgren in return.

Giddey will now be able to take another statistical jump with additional help on the court. Could it be enough for him to compete for the Most Improved Player award?

According to FanDuel, Giddey has +3100 odds to win the award in the upcoming season. However, the path for him to get there is quite simple.

If the Thunder is able to take another leap, each Thunder player competing for an award will have an improved case. For example, Gilgeous-Alexander's MVP case will be stronger and Holmgren may earn more Rookie of the Year votes over Victor Wembanyama.

Narrative matters in these awards and the Thunder taking another leap will boost Giddey's narrative for Most Improved Player.

The jump Giddey will be able to take will be determined by his ability to continue improving his efficiency. If he's able to shoot better from the floor while improving in each basic statistical category -- those being points, rebounds and assists per game -- his case will be well-written for the award.

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