Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went from being a really good player to being a great one in just one season, but his development wasn’t enough to take home any hardware.
On Monday night, the NBA announced that Gilgeous-Alexander was beaten out for the league’s Most Improved Player award by Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen. SGA, the 24-year-old first-time All-Star, went from averaging 24.5 points per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2021-22 to 31.4 points per game in 2022-23, the fourth-most in the NBA this season.
Unfortunately for Gilgeous-Alexander, as spectacular as his run was, Markkanen was the better fit for what this award entails.