New Orleans Pelicans: How Lonzo Ball can win Most Improved Player

Lonzo Ball has a shot at the Most Improved Player award for the New Orleans Pelicans.

The New Orleans Pelicans saw marked improvement from Lonzo Ball last season only to have him play terribly in the bubble.

It probably wouldn’t have mattered anyway, as the whole team struggled, but Lonzo is under a constant microscope, so his struggles became part of the narrative of the offseason.

This could be a good thing, as Lonzo Ball seems like the type of player who will take criticism personally and use it as motivation to improve.

He should have more primary ballhandling duties now that Jrue Holiday is gone, so Lonzo will get every chance to show that his play in the bubble was a fluke.

But what does he have to do to be in the running for the Most Improved Player award? Let’s take a look.

New Orleans Pelicans: What Lonzo Ball must do to win Most Improved Player

Win

Though Brandon Ingram won the MIP award last season on a losing team, most of the time the award is given to a player whose team actually won something.

For the Pelicans to go back-to-back on MIP awards, they will have to make the playoffs, as voters are not going to reward a losing team two years in a row.

Since last season had so many issues, including a pandemic, records were thrown out the window and Ingram wasn’t punished for being on a team with a sub .500 record.

For Lonzo to win it, the Pels will need to be good and Lonzo needs to do whatever it takes to make that happen. If that means playing more off the ball, so be it.

If that means taking on more difficult defensive assignments, do it.

If that means becoming the best passing 3-and-D wing in the league, great.

If Lonzo Ball wants to win Most Improved Player he needs to forget his personal stats and do what the team needs to be a winner.

If the Pels win, he’ll be rewarded.