Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels has been named the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Improved Player, winning the George Mikan Trophy. This award is given each year to a player who has shown big improvement from previous seasons. Daniels is only the second Hawks player to win it, after Alan Henderson in 1997-98.
In his third NBA season—and his first with Atlanta—Daniels had the best stats of his career. He averaged 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 3.01 steals per game, with shooting percentages of 49.3% from the field and 34.0% from three-point range over 76 games.
He joined an elite group of players—Michael Ray Richardson, Magic Johnson, Alvin Robertson, and Michael Jordan—who averaged at least 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals in a season.
Daniels improved significantly from last year, increasing his points by 8.3, rebounds by 2, assists by 1.7, and steals by 1.62 per game. Only two others—Richardson and Eric Murdock—have shown similar jumps in these four key stats from one season to the next.
Dyson Daniels led the NBA with the most steals per game and the highest total number of steals (229). His average steals per game were the best since 1990–91 (Robertson), and his total steals were the most in a season since Gary Payton in 1995–96. He also topped the league in deflections per game (5.8) and total deflections (443).
The 22-year-old from Australia finished second in the race for the 2024–25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He was also named the Eastern Conference Defensive Player of the Month twice — for October/November and March.
A panel of 100 global media members voted for the Kia NBA Most Improved Player Award. The vote was counted by Ernst & Young LLP.
