Most Improved Player is the award we should have the least feel for going into the season — part of the point is which player surprised us the most with the leap he made from one season to the next.
Still, there are always candidates going into the year.
The betting favorite is Victor Wembanyama but he presents an interesting case: Would voters give him MIP and Defensive Player of the Year (for which he is a heavy favorite)? Even if Wemby is the guy who improves the most, he may not win the award if he wins another major award and likely ends up an All-NBA player at the end of the season as well. In his second season, Wembanyama may have already made the leap to “too good to win this award.”
Who will win? Here are my projections.
2024-25 NBA Most Improved Player:
1. Jalen Williams
2. Evan Mobley
3. Jonathan Kuminga
Williams averaged 19.1 points a game last season while shooting 42.7% from 3, and he came in fourth in MIP voting. However, with Josh Giddey in Chicago Williams’
role in Oklahoma City will expand, he will have more playmaking duties next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and if the Thunder are the clear regular season best team in the West (as many of us project), Williams could be rewarded for that.
If Cleveland is going to make the leap from a good team to genuinely threatening in the East, it will be because Mobley made a huge leap on the offensive end. The Warriors need a secondary shot creator and if Kuminga steps into that role and fills it well he could take this award.
Others worth watching are Jalen Johnson in Atlanta, Cade Cunningham, and the aforementioned Josh Giddey (the Bulls are giving him the ball as the primary shot creator).
Best Bet among improving players
Tyreese Haliburton to lead the NBA in Assists per Game +175
From Brad Thomas of NBC Sports
Tyreese Haliburton not only led the league in assists per game last season but also led the NBA in total assists. Both markets are playable; however, I prefer assists per game if he misses time due to injury.
Last season, he averaged 10.9 assists per game, which was an entire assist higher than the second player (Luka Doncic) and nearly two assists per game higher than the third (Nikola Jokic). Haliburton averaged 17.8 potential assists per game, which was higher than Doncic (16.9) and Jokic (14.9) by nearly an assist.
The Pacers desperately needed a big of his caliber to run a successful two-man game effectively. Before the trade deadline, they brought in Pascal Siakam, a great addition to the pick-and-roll game for Haliburton to get more dimes.
Haliburton is also surrounded by quality three-point shooters. Aaron Nesmith (41.9%), Andrew Nembhard (35.7%), Myles Turner (35.8%), and Siakam (38.6%) all shot about 35% from three last season. The floor spacing will allow Haliburton to drive and dish, and they now have an effective two-man game. Don’t be surprised if he averages 12 or more assists per game this season. A number that has not been hit in over 20 years.
