Charlotte Hornets: Luka Doncic says Devonte’ Graham deserves to be MIP Finalist

Even though the young rising star on the Charlotte Hornets did not make the final cut for the Most Improved Player Award, Luka Doncic offered praise for Devonte’ Graham.

The Charlotte Hornets were shocked to find out on Saturday that Devonte’ Graham had not been selected as a finalist for the Most Improved Award. After improving from his rookie season, many thought he would be a finalist for the award.

Following the announcement of the three finalists, Luka Docic of the Dallas Mavericks shared his thoughts in an interview with Brad Townsend of Dallas Morning News. In the interview, Doncic asked, “who votes for this?” Townsend replied with, “Well, 100 of us, including me.”

Following Townsend’s reply, Doncic replied with, “Take me off the list and put Devonte’ Graham on there. I don’t deserve to be on there.” This response surprised many, as Luka made a huge jump for his team this season. Fans will likely appreciate an MVP candidate praising Graham.

Luka was one of the final three finalists selected for the Most Improved Player Award. The other two finalists were Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat and Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Graham was a player that many thought would be a finalist for the MIP Award. He improved a lot from his rookie season and played a majority of the 2019-20 season as a starter. He had a 13.5 point, and 5.4 assist increase from his rookie season.

When the season for the Hornets ended on March 11th, Graham was averaging 18.2 points and 7.5 assists per game. Graham capped off the season with a 30-point game in the comeback win over the Miami Heat.

Moving forward, the Charlotte Hornets will likely lock Graham up for the future. The rising star will likely see even more minutes next season if he continues to improve.