West Runner-Up in Most Improved Voting
 

May 2, 2006
Stats
OKLAHOMA CITY – New Orleans/Oklahoma City power forward David West became the second Hornet to garner second-place status in the NBA’s season awards, finishing as a runner-up in the 2005-06 Most Improved Player voting. Phoenix’s Boris Diaw won the award. The annual award is presented to a player who has made a dramatic improvement from the previous season or seasons.

Previously, Hornets guard Speedy Claxton took second place in the Sixth Man of the Year voting, placing behind Memphis’ Mike Miller.

In his third NBA season, West bumped his scoring average from 6.2 points to 17.1. The 25-year-old also significantly increased his rebounding average (4.3 to 7.4), field-goal percentage (43.6 to 51.2), free-throw percentage (68.0 to 84.3) and minutes (18.4 to 34.1).

Diaw received a total of 489 points, including 80 first-place votes, from a panel of 126 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. West finished second with 283 points (22 first-place votes) followed by New Jersey’s Nenad Krstic with 65 points (four first-place votes). 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.

http://www.nba.com/hornets/news/west_improved.html