Aaron Brooks wins the 2009-10 NBA Most Improved Player Award

Aaron Brooks of the Houston Rockets is the winner of the 2009-10 NBA Most Improved Player Award, the NBA announced today. The annual award is presented to a player who has made a significant improvement from the previous season.

Brooks received 403 of a possible 615 points, including 62 first-place votes, from a panel of 123 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder (17 first-place votes), Marc Gasol of Memphis Grizzlies (nine-first place votes) and George Hill of the San Antonio Spurs (seven first-place votes) tied for second with 101 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third place vote received.

This season Brooks set career highs in points (19.6 ppg), assists (5.3 apg) and rebounds (2.6 rpg). His 8.4 ppg scoring increase from last season (11.2 ppg) was the highest in the league among minimum qualifiers. Brooks became only the sixth player in NBA history to make at least 200 three-pointers and dish out at least 400 assists in the same season. He set the Rockets’ single-season record for three-pointers made with 209. The 6-foot guard scored 20 or more points 39 times and at least 30 points on 10 occasions. This marks the second time that a former NBA Development League player (Bobby Simmons, 2005) has been a recipient of an NBA Annual Award. Brooks played for Rio Grande Valley Vipers during his rookie season.

NBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER VOTES/TOTALS

Player (Team) 1st 2nd 3rd, Total Pts

Aaron Brooks (Houston) 62 27 12, total 403
Kevin Durant (Oklahoma City) 17 5 1, total 101
Marc Gasol (Memphis) 9 13 17, total 101
George Hill (San Antonio) 7 17 15, total 101
Andrew Bogut (Milwaukee) 7 17 7, total 93
Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) 5 11 9, total 67
Joakim Noah (Chicago) 7 8 5, total 64
Gerald Wallace (Charlotte) 3 4 2, total 29
Corey Brewer (Minnesota) - 3 10, total 19
Brook Lopez (New Jersey) 1 3 5, total 19
Carl Landry (Sacramento) - 4 6, total 18
Andrew Blatche (Washington) 1 2 1, total 12
Rajon Rondo (Boston) 2 - 2, total 12
Channing Frye (Phoenix) 1 - 5, total 10
Danillo Galinari (New York) - 1 7, total 10
Josh Smith (Atlanta) - 2 2, total 8
David Lee (New York) - - 7, total 7
Dwight Howard (Orlando) 1 - -, total 5
Ersan Ilyasova (Milwaukee) - 1 1, total 4
Chris Kaman (LA Clippers) - 1 1, total 4
JJ Reddick (Orlando) - 1 1, total 4
Chris Douglas-Roberts (New Jersey) - 1 -, total 3
Paul Millsap (Utah) - 1 -, total 3
Nene (Denver) - 1 -, total 3
Robin Lopez (Phoenix) - - 2, total 2
Monta Ellis (Golden State) - - 1, total 1
J.J. Hickson (Cleveland) - - 1, total 1
Zach Randolph (Memphis) - - 1, total 1
John Salmons (Milwaukee) - - 1, total 1
Ben Wallace (Detroit) - - 1, total 1

ALL-TIME NBA MOST IMPROVED PLAYER AWARD

1985-86 Alvin Robertson, San Antonio
1986-87 Dale Ellis, Seattle
1987-88 Kevin Duckworth, Portland
1988-89 Kevin Johnson, Phoenix
1989-90 Rony Seikaly, Miami
1990-91 Scott Skiles, Orlando
1991-92 Pervis Ellison, Washington
1992-93 Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Denver
1993-94 Don MacLean, Washington
1994-95 Dana Barros, Philadelphia
1995-96 Gheorghe Muresan, Washington
1996-97 Isaac Austin, Miami
1997-98 Alan Henderson, Atlanta
1998-99 Darrell Armstrong, Orlando
1999-00 Jalen Rose, Indiana
2000-01 Tracy McGrady, Orlando
2001-02 Jermaine O’Neal, Indiana
2002-03 Gilbert Arenas, Golden State
2003-04 Zach Randolph, Portland
2004-05 *Bobby Simmons, L.A. Clippers
2005-06 Boris Diaw, Phoenix
2006-07 Monta Ellis, Golden State
2007-08 Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando
2008-09 Danny Granger, Indiana
2009-10 *Aaron Brooks, Houston