Grizzlies' Marc Gasol tied for second in league voting for most improved

[La Bomba]

Houston Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks won the NBA’s Most Improved Player honor today by a wide margin.

 

But there was a three-way for second place, including Grizzlies center Marc Gasol.

 

A 7-footer, Gasol shared the runner-up position with Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and San Antonio’s George Hill. Each player received 101 points, more 300 behind Brooks. After setting career highs in points (19.6 per game), assists (5.3) and rebounds (2.6), Brooks received 403 of a possible 615 points.

 

Brooks picked up 62 first-place votes, Durant got 17 and Gasol had nine.

 

In his second NBA season, Gasol enjoyed career bests in points (14.6 per game), rebounds (9.3), assists (2.4), blocks (1.6) and field goal percentage (.581). Gasol finished with the highest field goal percentage in franchise history, breaking the mark (.538) set by his brother, Pau, in 2006-07.

 

No other second-year player shot better or averaged more rebounds than Gasol even thought he missed the final two weeks of the regular season with a partially torn neck muscle.

 

Griz forward Zach Randolph also appeared in the final voting as he picked up one third-place vote from the panel of 123 sports writers and broadcasters in charge of handing out the award.

 

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/apr/22/grizzlies-marc-gasol-tied-second-league-voting-mos/

[Poe]

It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to make second and third place awards for MIP. A lot of players improve throughout the league, and Gasol and Hill are good examples of that.

Edited April 24, 2010 by Poe