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Hawks Guard Dyson Daniels Named NBA’s Most Improved Player

Ryan Phillips

Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels was named the NBA's Most Improved Player during the 2024-25 season.
Atlanta Hawks guard Dyson Daniels was named the NBA's Most Improved Player during the 2024-25 season. / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
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Dyson Daniels has capped a stellar season with a big award.

The Atlanta Hawks guard was named the NBA's Most Improved Player on Wednesday, edging out Detroit Pistons forward Cade Cunningham and Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac.

Daniels was the No. 8 pick in the 2022 NBA draft and had two unremarkable seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans to open his career. During the 2023-24 campaign, he averaged 5.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 22.3 minutes per game. A trade changed everything.

On July 6, 2024, the Pelicans sent Daniels to the Hawks as part of a big package in exchange for Dejounte Murray. He flourished in Atlanta.

This season, the 22-year-old averaged 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 33.8 minutes per game. He also averaged 3.0 steals per game, which led the NBA, with Nikola Jokic coming in second at 1.8 per game. Daniels started all 76 games he played in and also notched career-highs in field goal percentage (49.3) and three-point percentage (34.0).

Cunningham and Zubac had excellent seasons but Daniels's improvement was enormous.

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Ryan Phillips
RYAN PHILLIPS

Ryan Phillips is a senior writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has worked in digital media since 2009, spending eight years at The Big Lead before joining SI in 2024. Phillips also co-hosts The Assembly Call Podcast about Indiana Hoosiers basketball and previously worked at Bleacher Report. He is a proud San Diego native and a graduate of Indiana University’s journalism program.

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