Toronto Raptors: 3 potential Most Improved Player candidates for next year
By Joseph Zita
2. OG Anunoby – 23 years old – SF/PF
2019-20 stats – 69 GP – 10.6 PPG – 5.3 RPG – 1.6 APG – .505 FG% – .390 3P% – .706 FT%
Career stats – 210 GP – 7.8 PPG – 3.5 RPG – 1.0 APG – .480 FG% – .365 3P% – .650 FT%
At my number two spot on this list, I have the man who shows no emotion on and off the court, OG Anunoby. I think it’s safe to bet that Anunoby is due for a breakout year as he’s been gradually improving every year. This past season he put up a stat line of 10.6 PPG – 5.3 RPG – 1.6 APG and shooting splits of .505 FG% – .390 3P% – .706 FT% which is all up from the season prior. For someone who isn’t known as an offensive threat on the floor and more of a defensive-minded player, OG has been shooting the ball very well and improved his PPG by a pretty good amount too.
By next season, I’m almost certain that he will take a big step in his development on the offensive side of the ball and the defensive side of the ball too. After becoming the main starter at the small forward position this past season and averaging a career-high of 29.9 MPG (minutes per game). He’ll more than likely be averaging a bit more than that this coming season as he’s ready to take that next major step in his young career.
The reasons why I think he could be a candidate for MIP next season is simply because of what we’ve seen from him as of late. His shooting has gotten better, he’s scoring more, his defensive game has gotten better, his rebounding has also gotten better, and did you see what he was doing in the NBA bubble? He was arguably the most consistent Raptor there.
OG Anunoby is becoming a player that can do it all on the floor. I’m not trying to say he’s up there with the all-around superstars in the NBA, but for someone entering their fourth year in the league and has grown every year, he can definitely do almost everything that a player needs to do to succeed.
With the Toronto Raptors hiring new assistant coach Chris Finch, it may help out Anunoby’s offensive game as Finch is more of an offensive-minded coach compared to Nurse’s defensive-minded style. We may get to see Anunoby’s offensive side get turned up a notch and that goes for everyone else on the team as well. (Stats from Basketball-Reference.com)