PED Watch: The Early Most Improved Candidates

With every new NBA season comes a set of varying expectations for each player; abstract portraits painted by age, skill, health, playing time and plenty other intangibles.

In some cases, expectations exist merely as frames to be shattered by defiant vandals. There's never a shortage of breakouts to transcend our preconceived notions, and '15-'16 has so far put forth a number of dudes who, well, look like they might be on some other s**t,

Whether they've spent the summer in the gym, taken up yoga, or are pumping that Lance Armstrong, here are the players who've opened eyes with their starts to this season - (in no particular order) the early MIP candidates:

Kent Bazemore 
DeMarre Carroll's offseason departure was a bit of a blow to the Hawks, but Bazemore's surprise emergence has made a sufferable loss even more minute. Bazemore's brought an immediate defensive enthusiasm to his new starter's role; replacing Carroll's lockdown cog in Atlanta's phalanx.

Better yet, he's provided a scoring punch (12 ppg on .491 and .439 from deep), looking like a legitimate two-way sparkplug. Whether he's a long-term answer remains to be seen, but Bazemore in the hands of Mike Budenholzer should be a productive development. He's been better than anyone could've expected so far, and may not have reached his ceiling yet.

Otto Porter

Slightly akin to Bazemore in ATL, Porter's path to starter was cleared by an offseason departure; that of one Paul Pierce. The Wiz were banking on his growth upon last season's strong finish, which so far looks like a winner. Porter's a wiry menace who can disrupt perimeter attacks at several positions. Long enough to contest stretch fours, while still being able to check most guards, he's a valued breed of trendy defensive versatility.

His offensive numbers have seen a boost from Bradley Beal's early absence, but Porter's proven a capable scorer both slashing and even off the dribble. His 14 ppg come on .515 from the field, despite shooting a rancid .286 on 3.5 treys/game (see shot form above). He may just live up to 3rd-overall status yet.

(of course, as I'm writing the above paragraph, Paul George does this to him)

Evan Fournier
A somewhat unlikely candidate to rise to the top of Orlando's amorphous talent heap, Fournier's been on an early tear, dropping 19/game on blistering clips, while enjoying the overall stat bumps that come with demanding an increased role. He's gunning confidently and flashing a skill set that I admittedly never gave him credit for.

While his opening month was among the most impressive surprises, its results are also among the most volatile. Not only is Scott Skiles about to shake up the rotation due to shaky defense (as he's been known to do), but the Magic have plenty of versatile scorers (chiefly Nikola Vucevic, Tobias Harris and Vic Oladipo) all of whose output has suffered from Evan Almighty's early ascent. It's unclear how safe his go-to role is, but it even existing is something to remark.

Hassan Whiteside
The big questions with Whiteside this season were mostly of the skeptical nature: "can he sustain last season's play?", "will he be an attitude liability?", "will Kelly Olynyk need a restraining order?". Nobody was really asking themselves if Whiteside had yet another rung to climb, figuring his Lin-esque breakout season season to be a best-case scenario.

Well, don't look now, but Whiteside has upped his scoring and rebounding, and is blocking more shots than anyone has in 30 years. He's among the early favorites not only for MIP, but DPOY, and if he manages to keep his head on straight should be among the biggest rags-to-riches stories the NBA's seen.

CJ McCollum
So this hasn't exactly been a surprise. I had McCollum pegged as my preseason MIP, and he widely figured to be in line for a breakout year. The early returns though have exceeded expectations, with CJ not only confidently dictating offensive tempo, but putting up a (relatively) mammoth 20 ppg on a tidy 45/38/88 shooting spread.

More yet, he hasn't been soaking up meaningless buckets; the Blazers have competed with much better teams, and at 6-9 haven't been nearly as horrific as their preseason prognosis. McCollum's been a driving force behind their early season, um, "surge", and while he may not reek of upside like others on this list, he'll only get more comfortable in time (he's yet to start in 20 NBA games).

Stephen Curry
At first glance, it seems pretty strange to have the reigning MVP lumped in with a bunch of Most Improved candidates. But it would be far more ridiculous to write a list called 'PED Watch' without touching on what Curry's been doing to the NBA so far.

Chef's done what few thought possible and attained yet another level in the offensive stratosphere. Granted he's averaging fewer assists, largely because he's scoring nine more points every night, shooting a ridiculous 51% from the field while bombing eleven three pointers per game. Both his swag and his production are off the charts.

Just how badly Curry is crushing right now is perhaps best illustrated by his PER. The convoluted stat (which basically encapsulates statistical output and overall efficiency) doesn't lend itself well to point guards, who traditionally turn the ball over the most and shoot the worst among standard positions. Of the Top 50 all-time single season PERs, only three appearances are made by two point guards (Chris Paul & Russell Westbrook), with zero in the Top 15. Steph's current pace of 33.59 PER would be, by a very comfortable margin, the best - of any player - in NBA history.  

Andre Drummond
And last but certainly not least is this fleet-footed manchild, who paradoxically rocks braces while

putting on history's most convincing Moses impersonation (Malone, not Ten Commandments).

Drummond currently sits a shade below 18 rebounds per game; a threshold only Dennis Rodman has crossed since the ABA merger - which is basically to say no human has done it. He's particularly devastating on the offensive glass, where he's a basically a guaranteed 2nd-chance bucket.

His dominant rebounding creates a viable facet to an otherwise-limited offensive game, adding another weapon to his dish-finishing and pick-n-roll crashing. And while he waxes the boards historically, he's far from a one-trick pony defensively. Drummond's a threat to disrupt anything near the rim; both shots and passing lanes, particularly the trendy back-door lob.

He's already one of the NBA's most terrifying matchups, and the worst is likely yet to come - he's still just 22. 

Banter's 2014 UnOfficial Awards

A week ago, I unveiled my picks for the NBA's regular season awards, as usual a little early. I do this (mainly) for two reasons: a) to get the jump on other analysts whose opinions you surely care more about, and b) to avoid letting their logic subconsciously influence my decisions. Maybe I plan this too carefully for someone whose vote doesn't actually count, but according to ESPN's awards forecast pollsters - lots of whom are card-carrying NBA voters - I'm looking decent to go 5 for 6, with the arbitrary Most Improved Player being the lone sure miss.

Most of what I've read suggests Goran Dragic will snag MIP, which doesn't sit well with me. Dragic made a pretty big leap as a scorer this year, but by most numbers, and some general definitions wasn't even the most improved player in his own starting lineup.

Phoenix's season was a huge surprise; a refreshing burst of entertainment in a season when so many teams openly refused to compete (to overstate a point, the Suns were supposed to be one of them). Stellar as Dragic's campaign was, he was far from the only contributor on a team whose (essentially) whole rotation had dramatic career years. And it's also not as though he came out of nowhere.

Dragic should be acknowledged, but he's already a near-lock for an All-NBA nod in a season where a guard-injury epidemic hit perennial candidates Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook and Derrick Rose. Handing this award to him is akin to erroneously crowning the best player on the best team MVP, and it's especially tough to single out one player, when Phoenix's improvement was such a team function.

Speaking of seasons that need to be acknowledged (and with that rant off my chest) there was plenty more to celebrate in 2013-14 than the NBA's standard awards can cover, so without further delay, here are Banter's UnOfficial Awards:

Bobby Boucher Award: Al Jefferson
The player whose acquisition to a new team created the greatest positive impact.

Big Al was just an offensive beast this year; there's no way to deny his impact on Charlotte's pretty-unlikely run to the Playoffs, putting up near-career-best numbers for a team who exceeded the general preseason consensus by ~ 15 wins.

There's plenty of blame to go around; the team as a whole gelled nicely under a near-COY first year from Steve Clifford. But after Jefferson shook off his early bum leg, the Hornets relied on his post presence consistently, especially during Kemba Walker's absence. Their inspired refusal to tank is largely his fault.

Regards to: The Phoenix Suns, Dwight Howard, Monta Ellis

Canibus Award: Enes Kanter
The young player who was set to blow up this season, had plenty of opportunity, and didn't really deliver.

Not too much went right in Utah this season, and while the aim wasn't exactly for the Jazz to be "good" per se, part of the motivation for for letting Paul Millsap and the aforementioned Al Jefferson walk away for nothing last summer was to clear room for ^this guy to blossom in the low post.

Didn't quite happen, as Kanter's game developed at a rate far slower than any Mormon had hoped, while his presence in tandem with Derrick Favors was mostly dysfunctional. The Jazz are getting a good Lotto pick and have cap room to spare, but any kind of leap from Enes this year would've been encouraging going forward. (In completely, totally, 100% unrelated news, Kanter may or may not have also been one of my preseason picks for Most Improved Player).

Regards to: Ed Davis, Dion Waiters

Kevin Willis Lifetime Achievement Award: Derek Fisher

The player who demonstrates outstanding devotion to the game, defying most laws of common sense and physics through an utter refusal to retire. 

Fisher took this award home last year, but in a season where Russell Westbrook's injuries gave him unfathomable amounts of floor time, Fisher delivered some witty veteran play, often at key moments for the Thunder. He proved he wasn't a total relic, which the meme to your right more or less indicates.

Regards to: Antawn Jamison, Chauncey Billups, Jermaine O'Neal

Energizer Bunny Award: Joakim Noah
The player who just keeps going, and going, and going, and going...

You know how Drake's just been everywhere with basketball these past few weeks? Annoyingly popping up in every little unexpected corner of a game - courtside, in the locker room, in the ESPN studio, afterparty VIPing, or looming from his perch as the Raptors' Human Mascot - just to remind you how "on it" he is?

That was Noah all year. Dude just didn't stop.He combined perpetual movement with flawless execution; his efforts were both more balanced and focused; he did so much for the Bulls, while never taking plays off. It was a joy to watch, and every bit as irritating as Drizzy for whoever was up against it.

Regards to: Jimmy Butler, Monta Ellis, Blake Griffin

Leon Phelps Award: Andre Drummond
The player who caused the most drama with the ladies this season.

In an era where Social Media has more or less devoured actual social behavior, Drummond made headlines last year with his public Twitter pursuit of teeny-bopper Jennette McCurdy. His hashtag-bred courtship (how romantic.) led to several PDA-heavy dates, continuing to feed the viral frenzy around the young lovebirds. McCurdy even penned a very well-articulated op-ed for the Wall Street Journal on all the commotion.

The two became a highly-topical fodder for both gossip media, and members of the ubiquitous "anything's possible on the Internet" movement.

In a shocking turn of events, this hasty celebrity couple didn't last very long, with McCurdy's midseason revelation that her and Andre only went on a couple of dates, didn't vibe too well, and that a tiny teen actress kissing a 7-foot basketball player is every bit as awkward height-wise as you'd picture.

But of course, it wouldn't be a standard NBA relationship without something like this happening at all-too-perfect a time.

Regards to: Paul George, Raymond Felton, Dante Cunningham

The Earl Manigault Rebound of the Year: Shaun Livingston
The player who - against great odds or obstacles - made the most significant comeback this season.

The injury-ravaged career of Shaun Livingston had mostly been a tragic tale of great potential succumbing to a fragile body. Since 2004, he'd seen seasons of 4, 8, 10 and 26 games, only once playing more than 70.

After yet again appearing in just 17 for the Wiz last year, Livingston landed on the Nets - his seventh team in six seasons - and highly improbably dropped near career-best numbers for a Playoff team, appearing in a personal best 76 games, and having been the first sign of life when Brooklyn bombed out of the gate.

The fact that he's still in the NBA is a testament to his will and toughness; what he showed us this season deserves a nod.

Regards to: Derrick Rose, Kyle Lowry, Channing Frye

Ham of the Year: Andrew Bynum
The player who insulted expectations, his paycheck, and the game of basketball the most through continued dubiousness and a general resemblance to a roasted slab of meat.

I don't like to pick on injured players with this award, but in some cases it's just unavoidable. Especially when said injury was incurred while the player was tossing some ten-pin before he was cleared for activity. Enter this season's Andrew Bynum's Saga:

After spending a year on the bench, becoming an internet sideshow, Bynum's time in Cleveland was marked by disconnected play and enough incredulous stories to fuel a Best of Maury Povich DVD. There were sources claiming he'd slept with a coach's wife, others saying he'd spent an entire team scrimmage launching three-pointers off every touch, and one report went so far as him meeting with then-GM Chris Grant, claiming he didn't want to play basketball anymore.

Slotting an early-termination clause into his deal - allowing them to ditch him mid-season in the somewhat-likely event this were to happen - was the best thing that happened to the Cavs this year, turning the ability to fire Bynum into a trade asset. Indiana doesn't exactly have much to say about his time there.

Regards to: OJ Mayo, Andrea Bargnani, Anthony Bennett

The David Stern Award: Anthony Davis
The player who made the biggest power move this year.

I'm introducing this new award, not only as a needed salute to a legendary builder whom we all owe as fans of the game, but as the UnOfficial Awards' answer to Best Picture, Album of the Year, and Choice Hissy Fit.

The best way to explain my logic for this award is a combination of MVP and MIP; a player has to have escalated significantly, but more or less to or within the NBA's Penthouse (ruling out basically the entire MIP field). Like Stern, he's shown tremendous growth that has registered in the most impactful way.

What Davis showed this season was the makings of an all-around big man eerily reminiscent of Hakeem Olajuwon, who Bill Simmons in The Book of Basketball declared a "kajillionpilliongazillionfrazillionfriggallionmaillion to one" that we'd ever see again. The guy can do pretty much everything right now, and is still 21 (twenty-f***ing-one) and has so much to learn that it's almost unfair what he's capable of. When he pulls it all together consistently, he'll be totally unstoppable.

More or less everyone knew Davis was primed for a leap this year after adjusting to life in the NBA and its learning curve, fully healing his leg, and adding some bulk to his wiry frame. Nobody really saw this kind of casual all-around dominance from The Brow; the kind of season that promises he'll be an MVP someday.

It's really only a matter of how long the LeBron & Durant's Jay-Z/Nas duel carries on. They've got now, but Davis took next very decisively, and doesn't look like he's waiting too patiently.

Regards to: Kevin Durant, Joakim Noah, Blake Griffin 

Congrats to this year's winners (your trophies and Tim Horton's Gift Cards are in the mail). See you all on Saturday for what...? Playoffs.