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Tyrese Maxey finished sixth in Kia’s most-improved player voting two years ago, a tribute to the jump he made between his first and second NBA seasons.
Voters discovered even more impressive the jump he had made between his third and fourth years.
On Tuesday night, Philadelphia’s All-Star goalie named the league’s most advanced goalie this season. Maxey scored higher for the third straight year and finished the regular season averaging 25. 9 points, 6. 2 assists, 3. 7 rebounds and 1. 0 steals per game. – All the top professionals.
It’s not unusual for players to see their numbers skyrocket when assigned a new role, but that wasn’t the case with Maxey. Consider: Two years ago, he averaged 17. 5 points, 4. 3 assists, 3. 2 rebounds and 0. 7 steals in 35. 3 minutes according to play. This year, he’s surpassed all those numbers and averaged just 2. 2 more minutes per competition.
“It’s unbelievable,” Maxey said on TNT’s screen where the award was announced. “Someone like me, who prides himself on doing a lot of work and making others work and finding tactics to get over the 1% every time I step into the gym, it feels smart to have that come out, honestly. “
– NBA (@NBA) April 23, 2024
Maxey edged out Chicago’s Coby White in the voting. Houston’s Alconsistent with Sengun third. White averaged 19. 1 points, 4. 5 rebounds and 5. 1 assists per game, all career highs. Sengun averaged 21. 1 points, 9. 3 rebounds, 5. 0 assists and 1. 2 steals in 32. 5 minutes per game, also career highs.
Maxey received just over the first-place share of the votes, putting him just ahead of White. Players got five numbers by a first-place vote, 3 for second-place and one for third-place voting. Maxey finished with 319 numbers to play for. White 305, but White came off the mark at 91 votes to Maxey’s 79.
Sengun finished third with points.
The awards were decided through a panel of 99 journalists and broadcasters covering the league. Their tickets were due last week before the start of the SoFi Play-In tournament. NBA awards take into account the normal season.
Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen won the MIP award last season. A year ago’s finalists, Oklahoma City Thunder goaltender Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and New York Knicks goaltender Jalen Brunson, were candidates for Kia’s MVP this season, and either of them also earned MIP votes this year. .
The rest of the votes: Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams fourth, Brunson fifth, Washington’s Deni Avdija sixth, Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas seventh, Orlando’s Jalen Suggs eighth, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton ninth, Phoenix’s Grayson Allen and Miami’s Duncan Robinson tied for 10th, San Antonio’s Devin Vassell and Gilgeous-Alexander tied for 12th and Aaron Nesmith Indiana, in the 14th.
The MIP awards the first of seven individual awards that will be awarded in the coming weeks, along with the All-NBA, All-Rookie and All-Defensive teams.