The NBA is brimming with a handful of superstar players and a couple of hundreds of players hungry to join the all-star community. While the MVP is given to the best player in a regular season, emerging talent or players that have made a big leap get recognized with the Most Improved Player award. Several players are expected to make the "next step" in their careers during the 2023-24 seasons.
Let's look at the candidates for NBA best prop bets in the category of Most Improved Player in the 2023-24 season.
Mikal Bridges’ Opportunity to Be the Guy (+700)
According to sportsbooks, Mikal Bridges has something to prove in the upcoming NBA season. The Nets' shooting guard is the top favorite for the award, receiving +700 odds. After 5 seasons in Phoenix, Mikal was shipped mid-season to Brooklyn Nets and immediately felt comfortable in his new surroundings.
“It’s a great opportunity in Brooklyn. I always tell people I got traded at the right time with having pretty much the whole team out and being the guy for about a month and just going through the pains and the gains and growth throughout every day", said Bridges about the big change in his career.
Bridges played only 27 games for the Nets but averaged 26.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. For comparisons in the same season, while wearing the Suns’ jersey, Bridges averaged 17.2 points per game. The lower efficacy is due to the presence of bigger stars such as Devin Booker and Chris Paul. In the upcoming season, Mikal will be one of the leaders in Brooklyn, and with the ball in his hands more often, his stats should rise dramatically.
Tyrese Maxey Make Take the Spotlight (+1200)
Sportsbooks are calculating that with James Harden’s exit from the Philadelphia 76ers, considering his trade request, Tyrese Maxey's chances of winning the Most Improved Player will increase. The math is simple: Harden's departure will make Maxey Joel Embiid’s new sidekick. And with the frequently injured center, Tyrese might not only be the lead guard but the Phillies' key player through the season.
The odds on Maxey are +1200, although if James remains in Philly, they will probably rise, and Tyrese will lose his favorite status. At 22 years old, Maxey is eager to prove himself. Last season, he averaged 20.3 points per game, a stat that stayed consistent during the 76ers playoff campaign. Reporters claim teams are calling with trade offers for Maxey, but the head office is adamant they plan to keep him, adding more fuel to the Most Improved Player debate.
Cade Cunningham Loading for a Comeback (+1300)
Cunningham is coming back on the court after a season-ending injury in 2023-23, which interrupted the momentum of Cade's great rookie performance in 2021. Doubt is always present when a player returns from surgery, however, the Pistons’ point guard possesses all the necessary qualities for entering the superstar territory. The +1300 odds for Most Improved Player are another argument about the confidence experts have in his ability with the ball.
Detroit has a new coach in Monty Williams, and both of them seem like a good pair for a fresh start.
"I thought it was a best-case scenario. The perfect person for us and I was just excited for the team, for us to be able to learn from him and take it to the next level," said Cunningham about his new coach.
Cade is a versatile player, but shooting 41.5% from the field is not going to win many votes. Yet, he can improve, and the potential is there. This is Cade's season to make the leap.
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