NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
•Download the NBA App•2024-25 NBA Award Highlights: Comprehensive Coverage•Kia Most Improved Player Award: Historical Winners
Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels has been honored with the George Mikan Trophy, recognizing him as the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Improved Player.
This prestigious award, which has been presented annually since the 1985-86 season, aims to celebrate a player showing significant progress compared to the prior season(s). Daniels marks the second player in Hawks history to receive this accolade, previously achieved by Alan Henderson in the 1997-98 season.
During his third season in the NBA and his first with the Hawks, Daniels recorded career-best averages of 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.01 steals, while achieving personal best shooting rates of 49.3% from the field and 34.0% from beyond the arc over 76 games, averaging 33.8 minutes. He became only the fifth player in NBA history to average at least 14.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 3.0 steals in one season, joining legends like Michael Ray Richardson, Magic Johnson, Alvin Robertson (who did it three times), and Michael Jordan.
Daniels saw a scoring increase of +8.3 points per game, +2.0 rebounds, +1.7 assists, and +1.62 steals in comparison to last season. He is the third player to achieve gains of at least +8.0 points, +2.0 rebounds, +1.5 assists, and +1.5 steals from one season to another, provided both seasons included at least 50 games, following in the footsteps of Richardson and Eric Murdock.
In an interview with Inside the NBA, Daniels reflected on the significance of his award and discussed areas for improvement in the future.
He led the league in both steals per game and total steals (229), achieving the highest steals per game average since Alvin Robertson in the 1990-91 season, and accumulating the most total steals in a season since Gary Payton in 1995-96. Furthermore, Daniels topped the league in average deflections per game (5.8) and total deflections (443).
At 22 years old and hailing from Australia, Daniels secured second place in the voting for the 2024-25 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was also recognized as the Kia NBA Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month twice, for performances in October/November as well as in March.
The recipient of the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award was chosen by a global media panel consisting of 100 voters. Detailed voting results are provided below, with the counting conducted by Ernst & Young LLP, an independent accounting firm.
