Keon Clark, NBA most improved player for 2001-02.

Clark was asked if he liked the sound of that.

"Sounds great to me," the lanky Raptors forward said. "I like the sound of it, I like the ring of it, I like all that.

"I wouldn't mind seeing the hardware and all that good stuff. It's up to me to make sure it's more than just talk, you know what I mean?"

The rest of the league will know exactly what he means if he continues upon his path of improved consistency.

In a season that has been mediocre for the Raptors, Clark, 26, has been a definite bright spot.

The fourth-year pro is averaging 9.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 24.6 minutes per game. That's a big improvement upon the 7.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and 21.2 minutes he averaged last season, split between the Denver Nuggets and the Raptors.

You can count on the 6-foot-11, 220-pound Clark's numbers to increase as the season progresses, too, as he begins to fully comprehend how good he can be.