This year’s Most Improved Player race might be over. Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has long been considered the favorite to win and has amassed a commanding lead over Los Angeles Clippers wing Norman Powell since the All-Star break. Cunningham’s elevated his individual play and his team’s success while Powell has struggled with injuries in the back half of the season. Let’s take a look at the current leaderboard.
Cunningham was within reach for Powell shortly following the All-Star break but has since become a -550 favorite at BetMGM. He’s posted averages of 24.4 points, 9.3 assists, and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 48.0% from the field and 41.5% from three over his previous seven games. The Pistons have gone 6-1 straight up during that stretch. That run has helped Cunningham propel himself far ahead of the rest of the field.
Powell has fallen from grace because he can’t stay on the court. The Clippers’ sharpshooter has appeared in just one game since All-Star weekend and recorded just four points in nine minutes before leaving the contest with a hamstring injury. His lengthy hiatus, Kawhi Leonard’s improving health, and the team’s newest editions could stop him from scoring at the high level he has so far this season and he’s no longer on the board at BetMGM.
Dyson Daniels (+350) has seen his odds improve in recent weeks. The defensive-minded Atlanta Hawks guard leads the league in steals and has more than doubled his scoring output from last season. Cunningham’s rise to an All-Star level will likely make him too hard to catch, though. Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro rounds out the top three on the leaderboard at +2000.
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