Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey has won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award for the 2023/24 season, the league’s communications department tweets.
Maxey edged out Bulls guard Coby White for the award. Maxey received 51 of 99 first-place votes while recording 319 voting points. White had just 32 first-place votes, but showed up on more ballots (91) than Maxey (79) and compiled 305 points.
The third finalist, Rockets center Alperen Sengun, was a distant third with six first-place votes and 92 points.
Thunder forward Jalen Williams and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson finished fourth and fifth, respectively, according to the NBA, which revealed the full voting results on Twitter.
A total of 14 players appeared on at least one ballot, with Wizards forward Deni Avdija and Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton each earning one first-place vote.
Maxey, who is expected to sign a maximum-salary contract this offseason as a restricted free agent, ranked 11th in the NBA in points per game (+5.6 PPG from last season) and 20th in assists per game (+2.7 APG from last season). The first-time All-Star also made a career-high 212 three-pointers, up from 160 last season.
Maxey recorded three games of 50 or more points, tied for the most in the NBA. Those were the first 50-point games of his four-year career.
Maxey is the first member of the Sixers to win the award since Dana Barros was the leading vote-getter for the 1994/95 season.
Congratulations …….
Shaq complains about call with TNT.
Maxey wanted no part. Saying we want the next one. Smart young man .
Coby White deserved it
Other than the Lady Byng, it’s the dumbest individual award in sports. I don’t believe any other sports league has it or an equivalent. Moreover, I don’t think the concept exists in any other profession. One reason may be that the implied predicate of it might not really be so flattering. Actually, it might even be worse than the Lady Byng.
Comeback player in NFL is similar.
What did Joe Flacco come back from? Being old and teams not thinking he can be a starter?
Similar? CBP implies you were and are once again good, just fell on hard times (injuries or circumstances) and have overcome them. MIP implies you were not good, since the most improvement would likely come from people who were not good.
Would you use a surgeon who was voted most improved among his peers at the hospital?
Back in the day, it was an award to recognize a bench guy who made a lot of progress with his game and became a starter. Dudes like Alan Henderson, Kevin Duckworth, Darrell Armstrong and Scott Skiles won.
That actually was kind of cool to me as it was an award for guys who didn’t get awards. Now, I have no idea what the point is.
Today it goes to an already established young starter who is simultaneously ascending to All Star or All NBA status.
Wrong on m.i.p.but nice try.
100 year old trophy that commemorates players that demonstrate skill and sportsmanship is dumb? o.O
There are other awards for skill. The LB is about sportsmenship and gentlemanly conduct; while being a good player. It’s a relic from a time when hockey players were presumed to sociopaths, and one’s ability to control those tendencies needed to be celebrated.
And yet Tom Wilson remains in the league…
Based on what I’ve heard (and when I heard it), there was likely a time in the NHL that Wilson would have been Lady Byng material. When it went to the player who shook his opponents hand, after breaking his knee cap.
It’s just from last yr to this yr. How much did you improve. He qualifies.
I would have given it to Coby White, but Maxey absolutely deserved it
Alperen Sengun was the man!
The fact that someone voted for Haliburton goes to show you shouldn’t put much stock into these awards. I mean, how can he be most improved when he was statistically almost identical to last season?
How does Cam Thomas not even get a vote?
He did, just no first-place votes. Finished 7th overall with two second-place votes and 10 third-place votes.
Alpy got screwed.
Maxey had a great season and is the better player, although Coby White improved more from last season to this season.
Coby White should have won this award. Maxey is probably a better player, but that’s not the award. Coby’s numbers skyrocketed from last year! Absolutely ridiculous IMO!