CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Charlotte Hornets point guard Devonte Graham has made peace with not winning the NBA's Most Improved Player award.
But he still thinks he got ripped off, not even being among the three finalists. He's for the NBA providing some definition to voters of what the award is.
"Obviously, I was upset about it. I'm pretty much over it now," Graham said following the Hornets' workout Thursday. "I just know the people who really watch and are around basketball know."
Graham received endorsements, first from Dallas Maverick Luka Doncic, and then from Los Angeles Laker LeBron James, that he should have at least finished as a finalist. The former second-round pick jumped in scoring average from 4.7 points as a rookie to 18.2 last season.
New Orleans' Brandon Ingram won the award. Graham finished a distant fifth in the balloting, among 100 media members. All four players ahead of him _ Ingram, Bam Adebayo, Doncic and Jayson Tatum _ were former lottery picks.
The NBA doesn't define what "Most Improved" should signify. The argument for Graham would be jumping from a third-string point guard to a team's leading scorer. Yet, just 24 of the 100 media voters included him in the 1st-2nd-3rd place system.
"I've seen a couple of tweets (suggesting) if you were a lottery pick you shouldn't be available for the award," Graham said. "Nobody knows the real definition of it."
