Dyson Daniels basically turned the league upside down last year. Honestly, if you’d said before the season that a defensive-minded guard moving from the Big Easy to Atlanta would become a statistical unicorn, people probably would’ve laughed. But by the time the nba most improved player 2025 ballots were cast, it wasn't even a joke.
Daniels didn't just get better; he evolved into "The Great Barrier Thief."
The Shocking Ascent of Dyson Daniels
The jump from a 5.8-point role player in New Orleans to a 14.1-point focal point in Atlanta is the kind of leap that makes MIP voters drool. We’re talking about a guy who increased his scoring by over eight points per night while leading the league in steals with a ridiculous 3.01 per game.
Think about that for a second.
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Only a handful of legends like Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson have ever put up a 14/5/4/3 season. Daniels joined that club in 2025. He wasn't just some guy getting more minutes on a bad team; he was a defensive engine that forced the NBA to pay attention to the Hawks again. He secured 44 first-place votes, totaling 332 points to comfortably take the trophy home.
Why Cade Cunningham’s Season Felt Different
Cade Cunningham was the shadow hanging over this entire race. For a long time, it looked like the former number-one pick was going to run away with it. He put up 26.1 points and 9.1 assists per game, finally looking like the superstar Detroit fans had been promised.
It’s kinda weird, right? Usually, if a guy jumps to 26 points and 9 assists, he’s a lock. But Cade hit the "star threshold." Voters often get picky when a high draft pick finally does what they were "supposed" to do. Cade finished third in the voting with 122 points, despite actually making an All-NBA Third Team the same year.
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The Big Men Who Shook Up the Ballot
While the guards were flashy, the 2024-25 season was actually defined by a few bigs who decided to stop being "prospects" and start being "problems."
- Ivica Zubac (The Runner-Up): Nobody saw the Zubac revolution coming. He ended up second in the voting (186 points) because he turned into a walking double-double for a Clippers team that desperately needed a post presence after Paul George left.
- Evan Mobley: He didn't win MIP, but he did something better—he won Defensive Player of the Year. Mobley increased his scoring to 18.5 PPG while shooting a much-improved 37% from three-point range. He finished 6th in the MIP race.
- Alperen Sengun: The Houston Rockets center became an All-Star. His stats were elite (19/10/5), but because he was already so good the year before, the "improvement" felt more like a natural progression than a shocking jump.
The "What If" Category: Jalen Johnson
Jalen Johnson is the guy who should have been in the top three. He was averaging 18.9 points and 10 rebounds before a shoulder injury wrecked his season. In the 36 games he actually played, he looked like a future All-NBA forward. He’s basically a point-forward in a power forward's body. If he had stayed healthy, Dyson Daniels might have had some serious competition from his own teammate.
What Voters Looked For in 2025
The nba most improved player 2025 race proved that the "MIP Profile" has shifted. It’s no longer just about who added the most points to their average. If that were the case, Cam Thomas would win every year.
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The 2025 voters prioritized:
- Two-Way Impact: Daniels winning as a defensive specialist who learned to score changed the game.
- Role Expansion: Christian Braun (who finished 4th) got votes because he stepped into the KCP-shaped hole in Denver and didn't miss a beat.
- Efficiency over Volume: This is why Austin Reaves (5th place) stayed in the conversation despite not having 25-PPG scoring nights.
Real-World Takeaways for the Next Season
If you're looking at who might be the "next" Dyson Daniels in 2026, keep an eye on Deni Avdija in Portland or Amen Thompson in Houston. Thompson actually started the 2025 season as a favorite but ended up 7th because the Rockets' depth limited his raw counting stats.
Next Steps for NBA Fans:
- Check the usage rates: Watch for players whose teams lost a primary scorer in the offseason.
- Value the defense: The 2025 race showed that "stocks" (steals + blocks) now carry weight in MIP voting, not just points.
- Watch the Year 3 Leap: Daniels, Braun, and Mobley all made their biggest moves in their third or fourth seasons. This is the sweet spot for betting or scouting.
The 2025 season reminded us that the Most Improved Player award isn't just a consolation prize for young guys; it’s a legitimate indicator of who the next generation of NBA superstars will be. Dyson Daniels grabbed that mantle—literally and figuratively.