The ‘Great Barrier Thief’ has swiped the NBA’s 2024-25 Most Improved Player award.
Atlanta Hawks guard and Australia native Dyson Daniels was named the league’s Most Improved Player during Wednesday’s ‘Inside the NBA’ broadcast on TNT. Daniels got 44 first-place votes out of 100 ballots and a total of 332 points. Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers finished second with 23 first-place votes and 186 total points. Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons finished third with 15 first-place votes and 122 total points.
Daniels averaged a career high in points (14.1), rebounds (5.9), assists (4.4), steals (3.0), field goal percentage (49.3%) and 3-point percentage (34%) in 76 starts this season. He had just 27 starts in the first two years of his career in New Orleans.
Daniels nearly tripled his points per game average from 5.8 in the 2023-24 season while playing for the Pelicans to 14.1 points in the 2024-25 season, his first year in Atlanta.
‘This is my third year in the league, with my first two being in New Orleans. I felt like I kind of went in there and wasn’t myself. I feel like I took a backseat role,’ said Daniels, who virtually joined the TNT broadcast from Australia, where it’s early in the morning. ‘I came into this third year wanting to really put my foot down and show what I can do. I think it’s just a small step in the right direction this year and I feel like I got a lot more in me.’
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Daniels, 22, led the NBA in steals per game (3), total deflections (443) and in the combo category of steals plus blocks plus charges drawn (297). He’s the first player to average 3.0 steals since Alvi Robertson in 1990-91.
Daniels is only the second Hawks player to win the Most Improved Player honor. Alan Henderson was the first in 1998.
Among Daniels’ achievements:
- First player since Scottie Pippen (1994-95) to record at least 200 steals and at least 50 blocks and just one of seven players to accomplish that in the past 50 seasons.
- First guard to lead the league in steals plus blocks since Michael Jordan in 1987-88.
- The 22-year-old Daniels, who was acquired by the Hawks from New Orleans in a July trade, is the youngest player to record 200 or more steals in a season since 1973-74, when steals became an official NBA statistic.
- Just three players have recorded 200 or more steals since 2000: Allen Iverson, Chris Paul and Daniels.
- Collected 79 loose balls in 2024-25, good for No. 2.
Who has won NBA’s Most Improved Player award?
Here’s every player that has won the Most Improved Player honor since the first award was given during the 1985-86 NBA season:
- 2024-25 — Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks
- 2023-24 — Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers (Voting)
- 2022-23 — Lauri Markkanen, Utah Jazz
- 2021-22 — Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
- 2020-21 — Julius Randle, New York Knicks
- 2019-20 — Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans
- 2018-19 — Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors
- 2017-18 — Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers
- 2016-17 — Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
- 2015-16 — C.J. McCollum, Portland Trail Blazers
- 2014-15 — Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls
- 2013-14 — Goran Dragic, Phoenix Suns
- 2012-13 — Paul George, Indiana Pacers
- 2011-12 — Ryan Anderson, Orlando Magic
- 2010-11 — Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
- 2009-10 — Aaron Brooks, Houston Rockets
- 2008-09 — Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers
- 2007-08 — Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando Magic
- 2006-07 — Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors
- 2005-06 — Boris Diaw, Phoenix Suns
- 2004-05 — Bobby Simmons, LA Clippers
- 2003-04 — Zach Randolph, Portland Trail Blazers
- 2002-03 — Gilbert Arenas, Golden State Warriors
- 2001-02 — Jermaine O’Neal, Indiana Pacers
- 2000-01 — Tracy McGrady, Orlando Magic
- 1999-00 — Jalen Rose, Indiana Pacers
- 1998-99 — Darrell Armstrong, Orlando Magic
- 1997-98 — Alan Henderson, Atlanta Hawks
- 1996-97 — Isaac Austin, Miami Heat
- 1995-96 — Gheorghe Muresan, Washington Bullets
- 1994-95 — Dana Barros, Philadelphia 76ers
- 1993-94 — Don MacLean, Washington Bullets
- 1992-93 — Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Denver Nuggets
- 1991-92 — Pervis Ellison, Washington Bullets
- 1990-91 — Scott Skiles, Orlando Magic
- 1989-90 — Rony Seikaly, Miami Heat
- 1988-89 — Kevin Johnson, Phoenix Suns
- 1987-88 — Kevin Duckworth, Portland Trail Blazers
- 1986-87 — Dale Ellis, Seattle SuperSonics
- 1985-86 — Alvin Robertson, San Antonio Spurs
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