The NBA is announcing the winner of their Most Improved Player award later today, and it's down to three finalists-- center Jalen Duren of the Detroit Pistons, guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker of the Atlanta Hawks and forward Deni Avdija of the Portland Trail Blazers. But the time for debate is up, and the league will announce the winner in just a few hours at 6:30 pm. 

Duren nearly doubled his points per game this season while remaining a strong force on the glass as a rebounder, and he's even elevated his effectiveness as a ball handler in the open court while continuing to dominate in lob scenarios out of the pick and roll from Cade Cunningham. 

As for Advija, the Blazers forward is a dynamic scorer who knows how to be effective scoring at multiple levels. Avdija is remarkably successful at finding opportunities to punish other teams from the free throw line, and Portland has benefited considerably from his impact this season. 

For the Hawks, NAW has turned into a sharp-shooter who is capable of dropping 30 points on 6+ triples on any given night. Alexander-Walker has served as a lethal scoring threat for an Atlanta team that's looking to make noise in the playoffs, and they wouldn't have reached this point without the guard's tangible leap as an offensive scorer and playmaker.