2017 NBA Awards: Nuggets' Nikola Jokic finishes second in Most Improved Player voting

Nikola Jokic finished second in the NBA’s Most Improved Player voting, the league announced Monday.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo won the award going away with 80 first-place votes. Jokic was second with 14 first-place votes while Utah’s Rudy Gobert finished a distant third.

Jokic, 22, exploded onto the NBA landscape in his sophomore season, averaging 16.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, up from his rookie season averages of 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. After Dec. 15, the date when Jokic became the Nuggets’ starter at center, he averaged 19.2 points on 58.7 percent shooting from the field, 34.2 percent from three, 10.9 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. Jokic also racked up six triple-doubles on the season — the fourth-most in the league behind Russell Westbrook (42), James Harden (22), and LeBron James (13)

Gary Harris, who upped his scoring from 12.3 to 14.9 points per game and his three-point percentage from 35.4 to 42.0 percent on 1.9 threes per game, received two second-place votes.

The other award Jokic was nominated for Monday — the league’s Assist of the Year — went to Draymond Green and Stephen Curry.

Full voting results below –