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[QUOTE="SoBristol, post: 1334829, member: 485"]
This is great data -- thanks for all that work!

The question is why the improvement?  I am not sure the raw data tell us that.  You might have to consider what the player did to improve, and what else happened to the composition of the team.

In some cases, the biggest factor is the departures of the scoring or rebounding leaders from the previous year.  So, the stats can improve even though the player is not necessarily a whole lot better.  Someone who is the 4th option becomes the 1st or 2nd simply because other players have left.

In other cases, and here Demetrius Nichols comes to mind, the player has made season over season improvements.  These can be very evident to the fans -- and the player might have improved stats even if the composition of the team had not changed.   Added strength in many cases (Andy Rautins), or lost some weight in a few cases (Fab -- obviously better conditioned in year 2).  Or significantly improved some key skills.  Rak, for example, made obvious improvements in his footwork, his baby hook, his ability to finish to either side.  Kris Joseph improved the range on his jump shot from one year to the next.
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