8 points, 9 seconds
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Victor Oladipo for Most Improved Player or we riot

By Ben Gibson

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 6: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles the ball as Jakob Poeltl #42 of the Toronto Raptors defends during the first half of an NBA game at Air Canada Centre on April 6, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 6: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles the ball as Jakob Poeltl #42 of the Toronto Raptors defends during the first half of an NBA game at Air Canada Centre on April 6, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo is the clear-cut choice for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award and should win almost unanimously.

There is no other option for voters: Victor Oladipo should win the Most Improved Player award, which would be the fifth in Indiana Pacers history.

Sorry, Jaylen Brown. Too bad, Jamal Murray. Better luck next time, Spencer Dinwiddie.

As Ben Golliver outlined in The Crossover’s ballot reveal, the huge and unprecedented leap Victor Oladipo took makes him an obvious choice for the award.

"There are obvious contributing factors that help explain Victor Oladipo’s meteoric rise since joining the Pacers, but the breadth and scope of his improvement is nevertheless inexplicable. At 25, he transformed from a twice-traded complementary player who was invisible in the 2017 playoffs to an All-NBA level guard making star-like contributions on both sides of the ball. Last summer, his “Indiana homecoming” seemed like wishful and overly optimistic spin in the wake of Paul George’s moody exit. Now, he’s one of the most beloved franchise players in the league, and deservedly so."

It is easy to forget that people thought — and rightly so — that Victor was overpaid at $21 million a season. That was more than Paul George’s outgoing contract. That hardly comes up in discussions now as he clearly earned every dollar this season.

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The work Oladipo put in during the summer paid off for him and the Pacers. He transformed his body, and in the process, his game. He took some the attitude of Russell Westbrook and tempered it with his own style to create an All-Star worthy season.

Just look the numbers and his case is made.

He went from 15.9 points a game to 23.1. a 7.2 point increase. He doubled his steals and now averaged 2.4 a game. His 4.3 assists are nearly two more than a season ago and his 47.7 field goal percentage is a career best.

The advanced numbers look even better. Box plus-minus numbers say this is by far his best season on both sides of the ball. He boosted his PER from 13.6 (what you expect from a rotation player) to 23.1 (definite All-Star).

Perhaps most impressively, the team defied expectations and went from an assumed lottery team to the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference. The narrative shouldn’t be too big of a factor in voters’ minds, but I can’t think of a better one than Oladipo’s.

Next: Another chapter of Lance vs LeBron

While other players made improvements, no one can claim to have reinvented themselves and changed the arc of their career in the way Victor Oladipo did.

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