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Cavs guard Darius Garland didn’t win the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award on Tuesday — that honor rightly went to Knicks forward Julius Randle. However, Garland did some love on the ballot.
Per the NBA’s official vote tally, Garland received three third-place votes, putting him tied for 10th place in voting. That placed him even with the likes of Utah’s Jordan Clarkson, Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort and Atlanta’s Clint Capela.
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Garland has a promising second season with his numbers going up across the board. After a really tough rookie year, Garland blossomed in year two, most notably as a passer. The Cavs clearly having something to build with in Garland at point guard. That was not the clear after his rookie year.
Going forward, Garland could very will make a leap and be in real contention for this award in future seasons. Come year three or year four — and if it comes with the Cavs taking a leap in the standings — this is an award Garland could absolutely win. Isaac Okoro and Collin Sexton could play themselves into the running too.