Grizzlies' Ja Morant wins NBA Most Improved Player award

Grizzlies guard Ja Morant has been named the NBA’s Most Improved Player, according to a league press release.

Morant is the first Memphis player to win the award. He received 221 points (38 first-place votes) from a panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters. San Antonio Spurs guard Dejounte Murray finished in second place with 183 points (20 first-place votes).

Cavaliers guard Darius Garland wound up third with 178 points with the Warriors’ Jordan Poole (131 points) fourth. No less than seven players received at least three first-place votes.

A first-time All-Star, Morant averaged 27.4 PPG, 6.7 APG and 5.7 RPG in 33.1 MPG in 57 games to lead Memphis to the Western Conference’s second-best record. He had an 8.3-point increase in scoring and 4.3 percent improvement in field goal percentage from last season. Morant was the Rookie of the Year two seasons ago.