May 12, 2009
Former University of New Mexico standout Danny Granger of the Indiana Pacers has been named the winner of the 2008-09 NBA Most Improved Player Award presented by Kia Motors, the NBA announced today.
The annual award is presented to a player who has made a significant improvement from the previous season.
In his fourth year, Granger was the league’s fifth leading scorer, averaging a career-high 25.8 points — 6.2 points higher than 2007-08 (19.6 ppg) and 9.4 points above his career average (16.4 ppg) — and becoming the first player in NBA history to raise his scoring average by at least five points in three consecutive seasons. Granger also averaged 5.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists.
The 6-9 forward led the Pacers in scoring in 49 of the 67 games he played, including 13 of their final 14 games. In his last 14 games, Granger shot 43-of-96 (.448) from 3-point range and his 182 three-pointers made this season rank third all time in Pacers’ history.
Granger, who was also an NBA All-Star this season, played at UNM from 2003-05. He led the Lobos to the 2005 NCAA Tournament and was named All-America by Basketball Times. In his senior season, Granger was the only player in NCAA Div. I to average at least 18 points (18.8 ppg), 8 rebounds (8.9 rpg), 2 blocks (2.0 bpg), 2 steals (2.1 spg) and 2 assists (2.4 apg) a game.
Granger was a 1st-round draft pick of the Pacers in 2005.