1. Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
2. Jaylen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Coby White, Chicago Bulls
With Antetokounmpo, Brandon Ingram, Julius Randle, Ja Morant and Lauri Markkanen earning Most Improved Player honors of the past decade, the award became a ticket to the Welcome to the Stars club. Maxey (25.9 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.3 APG) fits that profile to a T. After breaking out in his third season and stepping up to the lead guard role following Philadelphia's trade for James Harden, the 2020 first-round pick hit a career-high nationally. He joined the team and, along with Embiid, formed one of the most explosive inside-outside duos in the league. Although scoring efficiency took a predictable hit with the increased volume, Maxey earned his first All-Star selection and did his best to keep the 76ers afloat during Embiid's absence. In the East, the 76ers have emerged as a strong spoiler, with a third or fourth seed posing as a likely team to make the play-in. Regardless of who wins, Philadelphia will have to contend with Embiid and Maxey, who is a threat to score in transition, from the outside edge of the dribble and beyond the arc.
Williams (19.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 4.6 APG), last year's Rookie of the Year runner-up, has made a strong jump in his second year. The 2022 lottery pick has enough all-around offensive ability to serve as the team's leading scorer, but his true value lies as a lethal secondary scorer and playmaker alongside Gilgeous-Alexander. It lies in the desire to fulfill the role of
Maxey and Williams were popular preseason picks, but White (19.0 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 5.2 APG) came out of nowhere. Making the most of his expanded role following Zach LaVine's season-ending foot injury, the 2019 lottery pick nearly doubled his scoring average and led the mediocre Bulls to a complete midseason collapse. contributed to the prevention of
