NBA: Memphis guard Morant wins Most Improved Player award

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NBA: Memphis guard Morant wins Most Improved Player award

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Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (L) slam dunks the ball for two points against the Golden State Warriors during the first half of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, USA, 23 December 2021. File photo. John Mabanglo, EPA-EFE
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (L) slam dunks the ball for two points against the Golden State Warriors during the first half of their NBA game at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, USA, 23 December 2021. File photo. John Mabanglo, EPA-EFE

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been named the 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Improved Player, the NBA announced today.

A three-year NBA veteran, Morant became the first player to win the Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award with Memphis.

The second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Rookie Draft, Morant received 221 points (38 first-place votes) from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters.

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A first-time NBA All-Star selection this season and the 2019-20 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, Morant averaged a career-high 27.4 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds in 33.1 minutes in 57 games. He also shot a career-best 49.3 percent from the field. Morant established career-high averages in minutes, rebounds, steals (1.16 spg), free throws made (5.5), free throws attempted (7.3) and three-pointers made (1.5).

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Morant posted six games with at least 40 points after having one 40-point game over his first two regular seasons. He set the Grizzlies’ single-game regular-season scoring record in back-to-back games, first with 46 points against the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 26 and then with a career-high 52 points against the Spurs on Feb. 28.

As part of his success as a scorer this season, the 6-foot-3 Morant led the NBA in points in the paint per game (16.6).

His honors this season included earning a starting spot in the 2022 NBA All-Star Game. Morant also was named the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week in consecutive weeks (Jan. 3 and Jan. 10), the first two such honors of his career. He became the first player in Grizzlies history to win the award in back-to-back weeks.

Behind Morant, the Grizzlies (56-26) finished with the second-best record in the NBA, matched the franchise's single-season record for victories and secured their highest playoff seed ever (No. 2 in the Western Conference).

Morant was one of three Memphis players to earn votes for the Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award, along with guard Desmond Bane (who finished in fifth place) and forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. (who received one second-place vote).

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San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray finished in second place with 183 points (20 first-place votes). Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland finished in third place with 178 points (11 first-place votes).

Below is the full results of the voting for the MIP award:

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Below is the all-time list of winners of the Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award.

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