Dyson Daniels wins NBA's Most Improved Player

Australian guard Dyson Daniels has been named the NBA Most Improved Player Award for his historic 2024-25 performance for the Atlanta Hawks.

Daniels, 22, polled 332 votes, 146 more than Los Angeles Clippers Ivica Zubac centre with 186.

Daniels scored 44 first-placed votes, 36 second-place votes and four third-placed votes.

Australian Boomers teammate Josh Giddey, 22, finished 10th with 13 votes.

Daniels had the most steals — 229 — this Millennium and  finished equal 20th for steals in a single season but was snubbed for the 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

He tied Johnny Moore's mark in the 1984-85 season.

Daniels, who just turned 22, is the first player since Scottie Pippen 30 YEARS AGO to have 200+ steals and 50 blocks in a single NBA season.

He had 229 steals in 76 games for the 40-42 Atlanta Hawks.

Dyson Daniels in the 2024-25 NBA season

• He had the most steals in the 21st century with 226
• He had the most steals since Gary "The Glove" Payton (231) in 1995-96.
• He was 36th player in NBA history to have 200+ steals in a season.
• ‍He was the youngest player in NBA history to have more than 200 steals. The next youngest ... Magic Johnson in 1981-82.
• He had the most steals in an NBA season by and Australian.
• He had eight steals against Minnesota on Christmas Eve, 2024.
• He had 15 games this season with five or more steals. The next closest is just four.
• He was ranked 12th in NBA history for most six-steal games in a single season with seven.
• He had had seven steals in a game three times.
• He had more steals in a single season than any player since the start of the 2019-20 NBA season.

Daniels was involved in a significant trade that sent him to the Atlanta Hawks from the New Orleans Pelicans, where he continues to develop and contribute as a key piece of their young core. On 6 July 2024, Daniels, along with EJ Liddell, Larry Nance Jr., and Cody Zeller (via sign-and-trade), plus a 2025 first-round pick (via Lakers) as well as a conditional 2027 first-round pick were traded to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for veteran Dejounte Murray.