NBA Names Suns’ Goran Dragic As Most Improved Player

NEW YORK (AP) — Goran Dragic has been honored as the NBA's Most Improved Player after his career year helped lead the Suns to 23 more wins this season.

The 6-foot-3 guard from Slovenia came into the season with a career scoring average of 9.5 points in five years. He had 20.3 points and 5.9 assists per game as Phoenix went 48-34 and just missed the playoffs in the tough Western Conference. Dragic shot 50.5 percent from the field and 40.8 percent on 3-pointers.

He received 408 of a possible 1,134 points, including 65 first-place votes, from a panel of 126 sports writers and broadcasters in the United States and Canada. Indiana's Lance Stephenson was second with 158 points and 13 first-place votes, and New Orleans' Anthony Davis third with 155 points and 16 first-place votes.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.