I know it’s only the end of November, but we’ve played enough basketball in this 2010-11 NBA Season to have a glimpse of who has improved from last season and who has not. I think often times people can confuse an increase in scoring production with most improved player. To that end, here are my Top 5 Most Improved Scorers, followed by my Top 5 Most Improved Overall:

Most Improved Scorers:

With Yao Ming’s minutes limited due his recovering from injury, Scola has become one of the Houston Rockets best scoring options.  Shoring up the middle, Scola’s minutes, points, and rebounds are all up.  He is now the 13^th highest scorer in the NBA.

A new team, new coach and more minutes appear to be all Dorell Wright needed to up his production.  He’s been buried on Miami’s bench since being drafted.

With the trade from Miami to Minnesota, Beasley has predictably flourished in his new surroundings, especially relishing in his role as team leader and the leading scorer.  No longer second fiddle to Dwayne Wade, rightfully so, Beasley is finally coming into his own as a player.  Not only is his scoring up, but also Beasley is shooting a career high 43.8% from 3-point territory.  If you have not watched the Wolves yet this year, tune in to watch Beasley—he’s playing like an all-star.

Gordon’s scoring is up, but his shooting percentage is down.

Weems has come on strong in the scoring department, but it hasn’t helped his team all that much in the wins department, as they are bottom dwelling in the Eastern Conference.

Top 5 Overall Most Improved Players:

The departure of Carlos Boozer has created more minutes and more shots for Paul Milsap, and he’s taking full advantage of his situation, even shooting a higher percentage this season.

Russell Westbrook has been as explosive and uptempo as ever, but his efficiency on both ends of the floor and increased leadership role with the team have made him into a bonafide superstar in this league in just the few short weeks of play this NBA season.

As you’ve probably heard, Kevin Love is tearing through the NBA right now, grabbing enough rebounds to lead the league in rebounds per game. His 31 and 31 game is all anyone can talk about, but he’s on this list not just for one game but for night in and night out scoring and rebounding improvements. Consistency is king.

JJ Hickson has been steadily improving each season, but he may be the only happy guy in Cleveland when he heard that LeBron was leaving for Miami. Now that more shots and minutes have opened up, Hickson has become the rising star that many thought he would/should be in Cleveland.

Gasol has been a one man wrecking crew so far for the Lakers. Kobe has played well but has been inconsistent so far due to nagging injuries. Gasol has steadied the ship with his increased production and led the Lakers to another brilliant start to the season.

Many of these players have started to prove themselves.  Due to trades and off-season moves, many new players have this opportunity and they’re off to a good start.  Now, they just have to keep it going all season long.

(Statistics from 11/23/10 on NBA.com)

R.S. De France is a College and University instructor of English Composition living in Los Angeles. He has a B.A. in English and an M.A. in Rhetoric, Composition, and Writing. De France has played, coached, and officiated competitive high school basketball in California for many years. Recently, De France, his wife, and another colleague started an internationally read magazine at Shwibly.com.