2025 NBA Awards: Dyson Daniels Surges Into Second Place For Two Major Awards

The Atlanta Hawks are 30-34 entering tonight's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, having won two in a row and three of their last four. Atlanta has had to navigate the season-ending injury to Jalen Johnson and have remained in the hunt for the NBA playoffs, recently moving to the No. 7 spot after recent wins. One of the main reasons the Hawks have been able to stay in the hunt for the playoffs is Dyson Daniels, who has turned into one of the elite perimeter defenders in the NBA, leading the league in steals and deflections. While the Hawks defense is not a top 10 unit, they would be much worse without Daniels. His defense gets a lot of attention, but he has made leaps on offense this season, especially when it comes to being a secondary ball-handler when Trae Young goes to the bench or has a tough matchup.

After Victor Wembanyama went down with a season-ending injury, the race for defensive player of the year award swung wide open. Wembanyama was the heavy favorite to win the award, but is not eligible to do so now. After the injury, there were three major contenders to win defensive player of the year, Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Daniels. Mobley and Jackson Jr were the co-favorites, but after a strong stretch of games from Daniels and an injury to JJJ, Daniels has surged up the oddsboard to second place.

Right now at Fanduel Sportsbook, Mobley is the favorite to win defensive player of the year at -210, but Daniels is 2nd at +500. Jackson Jr is +650, Lou Dort is +900, but then there is a significant drop-off to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at +4000. Daniels is right in the thick of the race and if the Hawks can keep winning down the stretch, he will make a case to win it.

The other award is the one I think Daniels should be favored to win. The Most Improved Player Award is one of the toughest to gauge in the NBA and right now, Detroit's Cade Cunningham is -370 to win the award and while Cunningham has been fantastic this season and could even end up with 2nd Team All-NBA Honors, but being this kind of player was expected of him when he was drafted first overall in 2021. That is not meant to take away from what he has accomplished, but Daniels has shown significant growth from last season to this season. He is +320 to win the award and then there is a significant dropoff to Christian Braun at +2800. It seems like it will be a battle between Daniels and Cunningham down the stretch.

Winning games to end the season is going to be vital for Daniels to have a chance to win any of these awards. They have a favorable schedule to do so.

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