Most Improved Player of the First Trimester
Devin Harris (New Jersey)
You know what?
Even as Harris and Vince Carter take all the shots in Jersey and even if Lawrence Frank did rewrite his entire playbook for Harris' benefit coming into this season as noted in Box 6 -- a masterstroke that really requires us to add L-Frank to the Coach of the First Trimester conversation above -- those moves alone weren't going to turn Harris into the league's No. 6 scorer at 23.8 points per game.
Give the Mavericks' castoff copious amounts of credit for improving his outside shooting tremendously, repeatedly forcing his way to the free-throw line and generally capitalizing on the total freedom Frank gives him. Harris had many supporters in the Dallas public who lobbied against the trade from the start, but even his most ardent backers never imagined a breakout like this, especially after Harris' numbers over the final 25 games with the Nets last season weren't drastically different than his Mavs numbers.
This season? He's done so well so fast that the Mavs -- still smarting from Nash's free-agent departure in the summer of 2004 and the two MVP trophies he went on to win in Phoenix -- have to be wondering if they can ever dare to let another lead guard go.
This much we know for sure: Paul Millsap has been amazing as Carlos Boozer's injury stand-in with the Jazz ... and he didn't have a shot at this trimester trophy.
