The NBA revealed on Wednesday that Dyson Daniels of the Hawks has been named the Most Improved Player for the 2024-25 season. He becomes the second player in Atlanta Hawks history to receive this honor, following Alan Henderson in 1998. Daniels, originally the eighth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, joined the Hawks in an offseason trade involving Dejounte Murray, coming from the New Orleans Pelicans. Daniels was notably a finalist for more than one award, sharing this distinction with Nikola Jokić. While Evan Mobley of the Cavaliers won Defensive Player of the Year, Daniels secured the Most Improved Player award.
The race for this season`s Most Improved Player award was closely contested, lacking a clear favorite, but ultimately narrowed down to three main contenders. Cade Cunningham, the Detroit Pistons` All-Star, represented a common profile for recent winners: a high draft pick making significant progress. Since CJ McCollum`s win in 2016, the award has typically gone to a player making their first All-Star appearance that season. Cunningham fit this trend, but voters decided differently this time.
The primary competition for the award ultimately came down to Dyson Daniels and Ivica Zubac. Their candidacies were quite distinct but equally persuasive. Daniels struggled for consistent playing time in New Orleans largely because of his offensive limitations. This season, he showed remarkable improvement offensively, boosting his scoring average from 5.8 to 14.1 points per game and developing into a capable 34% three-point shooter. Combined with his outstanding defense, Daniels transformed from a relatively unknown player into one of the league`s promising young wings.
NBA Most Improved Player Voting Breakdown
At 28 years old and in his ninth season, Zubac is significantly older than Daniels and has shown consistent improvement over his career. However, injuries to Kawhi Leonard early in the season and James Harden`s role as a premier pick-and-roll facilitator created an ideal environment for Zubac to excel offensively. His scoring average rose from 11.7 to 16.8 points this season. Similar to Daniels, he is expected to be named to an All-Defensive team for his contributions to the Clippers` strong defense. Some voters were hesitant to award players whose development follows a more established trajectory, which may have factored into Zubac`s result.
Ultimately, voters selected Daniels, who is undoubtedly deserving of the award. Just twelve months prior, he was a little-known rookie with limited playing time. Today, he is a key component of the Atlanta Hawks` future, recognized as one of the NBA`s top defenders, and the recipient of the 2024-25 Most Improved Player trophy.
Jasper Hawthorne