– Team will improve
One of the things that will help Hart win the Most Improved Player Award is that the Lakers should be a much better team this coming season. Due to the addition of LeBron James and some other talented veterans, the Lakers should be able to break their playoff slump and eyes will certainly be on them.
For Hart, while he will have to perform in order to keep playing time, competition can bring out the best in a player. As a player that showed a lot of improvement over the course of last season, Hart looks like he can be much more than just a 3 and D type player.
With James joining the Lakers, teams will obviously be focusing heavily on him when he is on the court. However, that will allow players like Hart to operate in good situations when the defense might be forgetting about him.
If the Lakers are going to be a playoff team, winning awards will certainly come easier for their players. Generally, voters like to reward players on winning teams, and if Hart improves from last season, he should be on the radar for the award. While Hart will likely have competition from some players on his own team for the award, he should certainly be in the running.