It's official: LaMarcus Aldridge is the third most improved

It's not the result that we were hoping for, but finishing third in the Most Improved Player Award voting is nothing to be ashamed of. As expected, Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu won the award by a handy margin.

Turkoglu received a total of 380 points, including 61 first-place votes, from a panel of 125 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay finished second with 167 points (23 first-place votes) followed by LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trail Blazers with 128 points (nine first-place votes). Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third place vote received.

Along with Aldridge, both Travis Outlaw and Brandon Roy received votes for the award. Travis got a lone first-place vote (I figured he might have picked up a few second or third as well) to finish with five points. Roy managed two third-place votes for two total points.

New Orleans was the only other team to have three players garner votes.