Most Improved Player

Corpuel: Michael Porter Jr. 

I genuinely believe this is the year Michael Porter Jr becomes one of the NBA’s deadliest scoring threats. He’s shown flashes of scoring dominance over the past two seasons, as his incredible fusion of size and athleticism combined with his natural scoring ability have enabled him to hit shots not many basketball players can make. Porter also averaged 19 points per game and shot a ridiculous 44.5% from three on seven attempts per game last season. If Denver is going to have any shot at an NBA title this season, Porter has to explode, which I’m confident he can. 

Kotelanski: Kevin Porter Jr.

KPJ had a breakout in the second half of the season last year, but that wasn’t enough to secure him the MIP award. What I thought was a short stint of great offensive play turned into a solid full development for Porter. If he can lead the Rockets’ young squad out of the deep depths of the West, the MIP title could easily be his.

Weinstein: Ben Simmons 

We’ve all seen the videos. Ben Simmons can shoot, he just doesn’t do it in games. But he’s gotten this far, and the fact that he’s in the NBA at all, let alone an All-Star, means that he knows how to work, improve and overcome adversity in his game. Simmons will figure everything out and become a stud this year… I hope. As a Sixers fan, I’d love to see him take his game to the next level and help Philly get far in the postseason. Unfortunately, his days with the Sixers seem to be limited and possibly over.

Rice: Anthony Edwards

I see this year as a turnaround year for the Timberwolves. They’ll likely contend for the play-in game and the playoffs, with the young stars KAT and Edwards leading the way along with D’Angelo Russell. Edwards averaged 19.3 PPG  last year and played incredibly well in the second half of last year. Don’t be surprised when Edwards puts up 25 PPG this year.