Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels is the NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year. “The great barrier thief” beat out Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham and Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac.
Daniels received 44 first-place votes and garnered 332 total points. There was a considerable gap between him and his competition for the George Mikan Award. Zubac came in second with 186 points. Cunningham, the bronze medalist, registered 122.
Between Daniels coming in second for Defensive Player of the Year, which went to Cleveland Cavaliers power forward/center Evan Mobley, and winning Most Improved Player of the Year, it’s evident who won the trade that sent him to Atlanta and Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans.
It’s a change of scenery that Daniels cited in an appearance on Inside the NBA after getting named the recipient of the George Mikan Award.
“My third year in the league, and my first two being in New Orleans, I felt like I kind of went in there and wasn’t myself,” said Daniels. “I feel like I kind of took a backseat role.
“So, I came into this third year wanting to put my foot down and go out there and show what I could do. And I think this is a small step in the right direction this year, and I feel like I’ve got a lot more in me.”
The 22-year-old guard produced 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.0 steals per game in the 2024-25 campaign. He’s the fifth player to average at least those figures in a season. Daniels joins some elite company. That list features Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Michael Ray Richardson, and Alvin Robertson.
The six-foot-eight defensive Swiss army knife also led the league in total steals [229] and steals per game this season.
Daniels discusses his plan for an encore to winning Most Improved Player of the Year
When asked about the offseason trade that rerouted him to Atlanta and embracing his new opportunity, Daniels conveyed the following to Inside the NBA hosts Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith.
“Being in New Orleans [for] my first two years, I wasn’t happy with how I performed. Coming to Atlanta, I got an opportunity to get a fresh start, get that starting two-guard spot, and play alongside a really good team.
“I think it’s coming in with the right mindset, working hard in the offseason, having a good Olympic campaign, and coming in and going out there and being aggressive. Being myself and not caring about making mistakes. I think that was the main thing this year is [that] I got trust in my coaches [and] trust in my teammates, and I was able to go out there and be myself.”
Daniels also shared his goals moving forward while discussing the prospect of winning the Most Improved Player of the Year Award again.
“I know I’ve got so much more left in me to show in this league and so much more improvement,” he stated. “For me, it’s going to be about taking that next step next year and setting new goals. I want to be an All-Star in this league. I want to be a championship player. So, I set the bar high. It’s about going out there and executing that now.”
