Brooklyn Nets Spencer Dinwiddie
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

Although Victor Oladipo may have the Most Improved Player award locked up, Spencer Dinwiddie feels he isn’t getting the love he deserves.

Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie is in the general conversation for Most Improved Player this year. It’s fair for Dinwiddie to feel like he deserves some credit and if I had to guess, I think he knows that. He’s in the general conversation because he’s been mentioned, but yes, Victor Oladipo has the award all but locked up.

Dinwiddie made the jump from fringe rotational player to a definite piece on a team. Unfortunately for him, his improvement pales in comparison to what Victor Oladipo did. Oladipo went from being a starter to an All-Star.

And this is no disrespect to Dinwiddie at all. He’s made huge strides this season and looks like he’s going to be a vitally important piece to the Nets going forward. The former second-round pick increased his production across the board this season. His per game averages from the 2016-17 to 2017-18 seasons saw marked improvements. His points jumped from 7.3 to 12.6, assists from 3.1 to 6.6, and rebounds from 2.8 to 3.2.

Oladipo also saw significant improvements in his per game averages from the 2016-17 to 2017-18 seasons. His points went from 15.9 to 23.1, assists from 2.6 to 4.3, and rebounds from 4.3 to 5.2. In addition to these numbers, Oladipo went from 1.2 steals per game in 2016-17 to a league-leading 2.4 steals per game this season.

While the numbers tell a version of the story, the standings paint a much more vivid picture. Oladipo took a team that wasn’t expected to contend this season and has them locked in as the five seed in the Eastern Conference. Dinwiddie’s Nets are wallowing at the bottom of the standings and didn’t get a whiff of the playoff race.

Plain and simple, Oladipo has made a far greater jump this season.

NY/NJ hoops reporter (NBA/NCAA) & sports betting writer for XL Media. Never had the makings of a varsity athlete.