10 'Most Improved' NBA candidates are turning in breakout seasons

The NBA's Most Improved Player Award has always seemed a bit like a back-handed compliment.

"Son, here's an award for being surprisingly good this season after being disappointing in previous years."

Of course, that's not the reality of it. Some players develop late or work extra hard in the off-season to turn themselves into All-Stars. Some have their roles increased after trades or because of changes in personnel due to injuries or other factors.

Whatever the reason, becoming vastly improved at one's vocation is admirable and worthy of acknowledgment. Plus, the NBA's Most Improved Player Award, which has been given out each season since 1985-86, is much better than its predecessor, the Comeback Player of the Year. That award, far too often, would go to a guy who returned to the league after a drug suspension. Hey, it was the early '80s, what did you expect?

In any event, here's a list of 10 top candidates for this year's Most Improved Player honor:

Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft out of the University of Utah is finally having his breakout year and the Bucks are now playoff contenders because of it. The 7-foot Aussie averages 16.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots, which is second in the league.

""When (Bogut's) doing well, the team does well," Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings recently told USA Today. "He's the guy we look to go to early in the game. Once he gets his scoring going, it's easy for everybody else."

Aaron Brooks, Houston Rockets

Frankly, Brooks is the likely winner for this award because his statistical improvements are phenomenal. The third-year point guard is averaging 20 points and 5.2 assists this season, which is nine points and two assists per game better than in 2008-09. Brooks made at least one 3-pointer in a team-record 39 straight games until his streak ended Friday night against Boston.

Then again, the biggest reason for Brooks' improvement has been simple necessity. Someone needed to step up and score points for the Rockets this season in the absence of Yao Ming, Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest. Brooks has been the biggest beneficiary.

Carl Landry, Sacramento Kings

Landry has been a pleasant surprise ever since coming into the league as an undersize power forward out of Purdue in the 2007-08 season. Now in his third year, Landry came to have enough value to be the key component in the trade that sent world-class scorer Kevin Martin to Houston.