NBA Most Improved Player odds: Can anyone catch Bam Adebayo?
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Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo came into the league as a role player and averaged 6.9 points and 3.8 rebounds as a rookie. Two seasons later, he's a generous favorite to win the NBA's Most Improved Player.
The 22-year-old is ahead of the pack, but he'll have to fend off eight other breakout players for the award. Is Adebayo a lock with only so much time left in the season?
Here's how the odds look ahead of the NBA's July 30 restart, as well as some plays that still have value.
Odds to win Most Improved Player
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Bam Adebayo | -140 |
| Brandon Ingram | +260 |
| Luka Doncic | +550 |
| Jayson Tatum | +1000 |
| Devonte' Graham | +1100 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +2700 |
| Trae Young | +2700 |
| Davis Bertans | +10000 |
| Domantas Sabonis | +10000 |
Bam Adebayo (-140)
Adebayo hasn't had quite the same turnaround in the scoring department as last year's winner, Pascal Siakam (7.3 points per game in 2017-18 to 16.9 in '18-19), but he's been solid across the board.
Here's how Adebayo's 2018-19 stacks up to the current campaign, including general stats and advanced metrics such as VORP (Value over Replacement Player) and player efficiency rating, or PER.
| Year | Games | Points* | Rebounds* | Assists* | VORP | PER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 82 | 8.9 | 5.3 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 17.9 |
| 2019-20 | 65 | 16.2 | 8.0 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 20.6 |
*per-game averages
The Kentucky product also won the Skills Challenge, adding to an already brilliant Year 3. Playing on a team that could be in the mix out of the East during the playoffs, Adebayo deserves to be the chalk.
Luka Doncic (+550)
Doncic averaged 21.7 points as a rookie last season, yet still has the third-best odds for Most Improved Player. That doesn't seem fair to the rest of the league.
The Mavericks star is averaging a gaudy 28.7 points per game, an even bigger increase from last season (7.5) than Adebayo (7.3).
Doncic could go off at any point; he has 14 triple-doubles this season. If you're looking for a play that still has some value, this is it.
Devonte' Graham (+1100)
The Hornets won't participate in the 22-team restart, so this is more than likely where the Graham hype train comes to a screeching halt.
But what a fun ride it was.
Following his star-studded career at Kansas, Graham got his first crack at running an offense this year with Charlotte. Although he had only one way to go following a dismal rookie season, the results were outstanding.
| Year | Starts | Points* | Assists* | VORP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 3 | 4.7 | 2.6 | -0.3 |
| 2019-20 | 53 | 18.2 | 7.5 | 1.4 |
*per-game averages
If you're brave enough to take a flier down the list, you won't find a better candidate than Graham.
Alex Kolodziej is a betting writer for theScore. He's a graduate of Eastern Illinois who has been involved in the sports betting industry for 12 years. He can quote every line from "Rounders" and appreciates franchises that regularly wear alternate jerseys. Find him on Twitter @AJKolodziej.