By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks will receive the George Mikan Trophy as the 2024-25 Kia NBA Most Improved Player.
The results across a global panel of 100 voters were announced by the league on Wednesday.
The Croatian starting center of the Los Angeles Clippers, Ivica Zubac, ranked second, in a quick turnaround from a sixth-place finish in the Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year votes. Inching even closer to an individual award, the 28-year-old big gathered 186 total points behind 23 first-place, 18 second-place, and 17 third-place selections. Daniels had 332 points, including 44 first-place votes.
The current focus for Zubac and the Clippers is on facing elimination from the 2025 NBA Playoffs presented by Google. Down 3-2, Game 6 of a best-of-seven series against the Denver Nuggets is scheduled for Thursday in Intuit Dome. A potential home win would knot the Western Conference Quarterfinals series at 3-3 and force a Game 7 in Ball Arena on the next edition of NBA Saturdays.
Improvements across the Portland Trail Blazers were recognized by 24-year-old Israeli combo forward Deni Avdija picking up 17 points to rank eighth and 24-year-old Belgian forward Toumani Camara tallying five points to rank 12th in the voting results for the Most Improved Player. British O.G. Anunoby of the New York Knicks was 13th with three points.
The third announced finalist, Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons registered 122 points, narrowly over the 120 points for Christian Braun of the Denver Nuggets.
