NBA Most Improved Player (MIP) Rankings 2024-25: Top 5 candidates after Week 18 ft. Dyson Daniels

There were a few changes to this week's NBA Most Improved Player (MIP) power rankings for Week 18. Norman Powell of the LA Clippers is now officially ineligible to win the award after being ruled out for the next 10 days due to injury. Amen Thompson was also knocked off the Top 5 due to inconsistency in his play and his team.

Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley and Tyler Herro continue to pace the Top 3 of the Most Improved Player race. The latest odds are favoring Cunningham, who has looked every bit of the star he was once projected to be. Dyson Daniels of the Atlanta Hawks and Christian Braun are also looking to push the competition during the final stretch of the season.

With all that said, let's look at this week's Most Improved Player power rankings brought to you by Sportskeeda. The stats for Week 18 are from Feb. 27 to March 5, 2025.

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NBA Most Improved Player Rankings - Week 18

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#1 - Cade Cunningham | Guard | Detroit Pistons

Cade Cunningham | Guard | Detroit Pistons (Photo: IMAGN)

• Last Week's Ranking: No. 3
• Average (Week 18) - 23.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 8.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.5 BPG
• Average (This Season) - 25.5 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 9.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.7 BPG
• Average (Last Season) - 22.7 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 7.5 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Cade Cunningham is back on top in this week's Most Improved Player power rankings. The Detroit Pistons star remained the betting favorite to win the award, with several media outlets and analysts choosing him as the potential winner.

In addition to his breakout year, Cunningham has also turned into a legitimate star. The Pistons went from being the worst team in the NBA to a legitimate playoff contender in one season.

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#2 - Evan Mobley | Forward | Cleveland Cavaliers

Evan Mobley | Forward | Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo: IMAGN)

• Last Week's Ranking: No. 1
• Average (Week 18) - 17.7 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 0.0 SPG, 1.0 BPG
• Average (This Season) - 18.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.8 SPG, 1.6 BPG
• Average (Last Season) - 15.7 PPG, 9.4 RPG, 3.2 APG, 0.9 SPG, 1.4 BPG

Evan Mobley might not have the same popping numbers as the other players in the Top 5, but his improvement also includes the intangibles. While most voters will look at stats, Mobley is truly one of the Most Improved Players in the league.

His offense has made a tremendous leap despite averaging less than 20 points per game. As for his defense, he's one of the reasons why the Cleveland Cavaliers own the best record in the NBA.

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#3 - Tyler Herro | Guard | Miami Heat

Tyler Herro | Guard | Miami Heat (Photo: IMAGN)

• Last Week's Ranking: No. 2
• Average (Week 18) - 22.3 PPG, 3.3 RPG, 6.7 APG, 0.3 SPG, 0.7 BPG
• Average (This Season) - 23.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 5.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.2 BPG
• Average (Last Season) - 20.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.5 APG, 0.7 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Tyler Herro has turned into the face of the Miami Heat this season. He continued to produce at a high level though the Heat's results on the court are less than favorable since the Jimmy Butler trade.

Herro is among the betting favorites with less than two months left in the regular season. He might not win the Most Improved Player of the Year award, but he knows the work he had to put in to become a star in the league.

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#4 - Dyson Daniels | Guard | Atlanta Hawks

Dyson Daniels | Guard | Atlanta Hawks (Photo: IMAGN)

• Last Week's Ranking: NR
• Average (Week 18) - 13.3 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 5.5 APG, 2.3 SPG, 0.7 BPG
• Average (This Season) - 14.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 4.1 APG, 3.0 SPG, 0.8 BPG
• Average (Last Season) - 5.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG

The latest betting odds point to Dyson Daniels possibly finishing second in the Most Improved Player voting. Daniels has seemingly made the leap from being a role player to a full-fledged starter for the Atlanta Hawks.

In addition to his eye-popping defense, Daniels is capable of scoring, knocking down shots and even playmaking. He's one of the most genuinely surprising players to turn into a star this season.

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#5 - Christian Braun | Guard | Denver Nuggets

Christian Braun | Guard | Denver Nuggets (Photo: IMAGN)

• Last Week's Ranking: NR
• Average (Week 18) - 18.8 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG
• Average (This Season) - 15.1 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 BPG
• Average (Last Season) - 7.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Some fans have slept on the Denver Nuggets' decision to let go of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, but Christian Braun is proving that it was the right one. Braun is putting up career numbers this season, whether as a starter or coming off the bench.

Braun can play multiple positions despite his height since he has the speed and strength to defend bigger players. He has also improved his shooting, while attacking the basket has always been his strong suit. He is currently the third-best betting favorite to take home the Most Improved Player award.