Danny Granger was a bucket. Plain and simple. If you weren't watching the Indiana Pacers back in the late 2000s, you might have missed one of the most clinical scoring surges in modern basketball history. He didn't just get better; he basically became a different player overnight. That’s why the nba most improved player 2009 race wasn't much of a race at all.
He won it by a landslide.
Honestly, looking back at that season feels like visiting a different era of the league. It was a time before the "Pace and Space" revolution fully took over, yet Granger was playing a style that would be worth $200 million in today’s market. He was a 6'9" wing who could pull up from the parking lot and finish over centers. In the 2008-09 campaign, he averaged 25.8 points per game. That’s a massive jump from the 19.6 he put up the year before, which was already pretty good.
He became the first player in NBA history to raise his scoring average by at least five points per game in three consecutive seasons. Think about that for a second. It's not just a one-hit-wonder fluke. It was a steady, relentless climb to elite status.
Why Danny Granger Was the Only Real Choice
When the votes for the nba most improved player 2009 came in, Granger received 48 first-place votes. His closest competitor was Devin Harris of the New Jersey Nets. Harris was great—he had that blazing speed and was an All-Star that year—but Granger’s transformation felt more substantial. He wasn't just beneficiary of a high-octane system. He was the system.
The Pacers were kind of a mess during those years. They were trying to find their identity after the "Malice at the Palace" era faded away. Granger gave them a reason to be hopeful. He shot 40.4% from three-point range on nearly seven attempts per game. In 2009, those were monster numbers. If you put 2009 Danny Granger in a time machine and dropped him into 2026, he’d probably be an All-NBA First Team lock just based on the sheer volume of efficient shooting.
Kevin Durant actually credited Granger as one of the toughest covers in the league back then. When KD says you’re a problem, you’re a problem.
The ballot that year was interesting. You had guys like Kevin Love and Kevin Durant getting votes, but they were sophomores. Usually, the voters are hesitant to give MIP to second-year players because they're supposed to get better. It’s the natural curve. Granger was in his fourth year. He had already established himself as a solid starter, but he jumped the gap from "solid starter" to "franchise cornerstone."
The Guys Who Almost Stole the Trophy
Devin Harris finished second, and he really did have a case. He went from 14.8 points to 21.3. He was the engine for a Nets team that was stuck in purgatory. Then you had Kevin Durant in third place. KD jumped from 20 to 25 points per game and started showing the efficiency that would eventually make him a legend.
But Granger’s narrative was stronger.
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The nba most improved player 2009 wasn't just about the box score. It was about the burden. Granger was playing nearly 37 minutes a night and carrying the scoring load for a team that lacked other consistent options. Mike Dunleavy Jr. was hurt for a lot of that year. Troy Murphy was a double-double machine, but he wasn't creating his own shot. Granger had to do the heavy lifting every single night.
He didn't just score, either. He was a defensive presence. 1.4 blocks and 1.0 steals per game from a small forward? That’s elite two-way production. He was swatting shots at the rim and then sprinting down to the other end to bury a transition three. It was beautiful to watch, even if the Pacers only won 36 games that year.
The Tragedy of the "What If"
It’s impossible to talk about the nba most improved player 2009 without feeling a little bit of sadness. Granger's peak was incredibly high, but it was tragically short. Those knees just didn't hold up. By the time the Pacers actually became a contender with Paul George and Roy Hibbert a few years later, Granger was a shell of himself.
He basically passed the torch to Paul George.
In a weird way, Granger’s 2009 season laid the blueprint for what the Pacers would become. He showed that a big, versatile wing could be the centerpiece of a modern offense. He was the bridge between the Reggie Miller era and the Paul George era. Without Granger’s breakout, who knows if the Pacers have the patience to rebuild the way they did.
People forget how much he dominated the midrange. He had this high release point that made his jumper almost impossible to block. He’d use a simple jab step, create two inches of space, and it was over. He was a master of the fundamentals, but he had the athletic pop to finish with authority when he got a lane.
Statistical Breakdown: The Jump
Let's look at the raw numbers that secured him the award.
In the 2007-08 season, he was a very good player. 19.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 44% from the field. Most players would be happy to stay at that level for a whole career. But in 2008-09, he leveled up. 25.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and an incredible 87.8% from the free-throw line. He wasn't just shooting more; he was getting to the line more—from 4.4 attempts to 7.2.
That is the mark of a superstar.
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Superstars don't just rely on their jumper; they put pressure on the rim. They force the refs to make a call. Granger figured that out in 2009. He stopped being just a "shooter" and started being a "scorer." There’s a big difference between those two labels.
The voting results reflected that reality.
- Danny Granger: 448 points
- Devin Harris: 232 points
- Kevin Durant: 161 points
It wasn't even close. The gap between first and second was almost 200 points. The league knew what it was seeing. They were seeing the arrival of a superstar in the Midwest.
The Impact on the Indiana Pacers Franchise
For a small-market team like Indiana, winning the nba most improved player 2009 was a huge deal. It gave the fans something to cheer for during a transition period. Granger was the first Pacer to win the award since Jalen Rose in 2000. It signaled that the scouting department knew what they were doing.
Granger was the 17th pick in the 2005 draft. Seventeen!
Finding a 25-point-per-game scorer at 17 is basically a heist. He outperformed almost everyone drafted ahead of him, including guys like Andrew Bogut, Marvin Williams, and Shelden Williams. He was the ultimate "chip on the shoulder" player. He played four years in college (Bradley then New Mexico), so he came into the league with a level of maturity that most rookies lacked.
By 2009, that maturity combined with his physical prime to create a perfect storm.
Common Misconceptions About the 2009 Race
Some people look back and say, "Well, the Pacers weren't even a playoff team, so did it really matter?"
That’s a lazy take.
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The Most Improved Player award isn't the MVP. It’s not about winning championships; it’s about the individual evolution of a basketball player. If you compare the 2008 version of Danny Granger to the 2009 version, you’re looking at two different tiers of athletes. He went from being a piece of the puzzle to being the whole damn picture.
Another misconception is that he was just a "volume shooter." If you check the efficiency, that argument falls apart. His True Shooting percentage was 58.4%. For a primary option in 2009, that’s fantastic. He was efficient, he was clutch, and he was durable—at least for that one magical year, playing 67 games despite some nagging issues.
Lessons from Granger’s Breakout
What can we actually learn from the nba most improved player 2009?
First, development isn't always linear. Sometimes a player spends three years grinding and then suddenly "gets it." Second, the jump from 20 to 25 points is the hardest jump to make in the NBA. Thousands of guys can score 15. Hundreds can score 20. Only a handful can average 25 over a full season while every defensive coordinator is game-planning specifically to stop them.
Granger did that.
He faced double teams, box-and-ones, and the best perimeter defenders in the world every night. And he still got his buckets.
If you want to understand why Granger won, you should go back and watch the tape of the Pacers vs. the Warriors from January 2009. He put up 42 points and basically took over the game in the fourth quarter. Or his 41-point performance against the Raptors. He had this stretch where he scored 30 or more in five straight games. That's some Kobe Bryant territory right there.
Actionable Insights for Basketball Historians and Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific era of the NBA, there are a few things you should do to get the full context of what Granger accomplished:
- Analyze the Shooting Volume: Compare Granger's three-point attempts in 2009 to the rest of the league. You'll see he was an outlier, foreshadowing the way the game is played today.
- Study the 2005 Draft Class: Look at where Granger was picked versus his career production compared to the top five picks. It’s a masterclass in why "NBA-ready" college seniors are often undervalued.
- Watch the Defensive Tape: Don't just look at the points. Look at his weak-side rim protection. He was one of the best shot-blocking wings in the league before his knees gave out.
- Check the All-Star Snubs: Granger actually made the All-Star team in 2009, which is rare for a player on a losing team. It shows just how much respect he had from the coaches around the league.
Danny Granger might not be in the Hall of Fame, and his jersey might not be hanging in the rafters yet, but for one year, he was as good as anyone on the planet. The nba most improved player 2009 trophy is a permanent reminder of the time a kid from New Mexico turned the Indiana Pacers into his own personal highlight reel.
It was a hell of a run.
To really appreciate the evolution of the wing position, you have to acknowledge Danny. He wasn't just a placeholder. He was a pioneer of the modern "3-and-D" superstar archetype, even if he was doing it before we had a cool name for it. He paved the way for the wings we love today.