Deni Avdija's Most Improved Player odds slipping due to lingering back injury

Deni Avdija's strong case for the Most Improved Player Award is being hampered by a lingering back injury, which has caused him to miss 10 of Portland's last 17 games. Avdija, who was a favorite for the award before the All-Star break, has significantly improved his stats, raising his points per game from 16.9 to 24.4 and nearly doubling his assists from 3.9 to 6.6. However, his continued absence could cost him the award.