NBA Most Improved Player Odds for 2024-2025: Why Victor Wembanyama Isn’t a Cinch Pick?

The San Antonio Spurs' rising star is the odds on favorite to win the most improved player in 2024-25, but is he too good for the award? Wemby just might be, and should voters bypass him there are some other viable candidates.

NBA Most Improved Player Award: Open Criteria

The NBA’s Most Improved Player Award has been around since the 1985-86 season and its criteria is arguably the most open-ended of all the major individual awards.

Caesars

4.5/5

Use Caesars NBA Promo: Bet on Wembanyama @ +850 for NBA MIP 24-25: 100% up to $1000

• User-friendly betting app
• Amazing live betting experience
• Reliable customer support

First bet back as a bonus bet up to $1000

Go to Caesars

It’s reserved for the player who has displayed the most progress (on the court and statistically) during the regular season compared to his level of play in previous seasons.

The award is reserved for an up-and-coming player, not a veteran returning from injuries or off-the-court related suspension.

Favorites to Win NBA Most Improved Player Award Odds (2024-25)

Why Wembanyama May Not Win MIP

Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs’ sensational second-year center who is already the odds-on favorite to capture the 2024-25 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and a decent long shot to win NBA MVP, is the odds-on favorite to win the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.

Considering the No. 1 pick of the 2023 NBA Draft was one of the most celebrated rookies of all-time, just how much will he improve?

If he improves considerably from the level he played in 2023-24, he should be a serious MVP candidate. We understand WHY Wembanyama could win the award this approaching season, but don’t feel the award is INTENDED for players of his caliber.

In fact, in the spirit of the award we believe top three overall NBA Draft choices should be ineligible for it.

1. Since Wembanyama is officially eligible to win, we offer a few other reasons why he won’t, even though he enters the season as the odds-on favorite.
2. Only one No. 1 overall pick has won the award and that was Pervis Ellison in 1991-92 for the Washington Bullets.
3. He was the No. 1 pick for the Sacramento Kings in 1989, when they famously drafted him on the advice of NBA all-time great Bill Russell after not even bringing him in for a workout or interview.

Times have changed, and trust us when we tell you Wemby is a significantly better player than Ellison ever was. Since then, two No. 2 picks have won the award in Brandon Ingram for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019-20 and Ja Morant for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021-22.

Ingram won the award after a trade to the L.A. Lakers and Morant played in 57 games when he won and because of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), Morant wouldn’t have been eligible last season.

A player must participate in 65 games and must be credited with at least 20 minutes played for a game to count.

• With those facts in hand, it’s easy to see why Wembanyama might not win the award.

Here’s more to consider: When Alvin Robertson won the first NBA Most Improved Player Award in 1985-86, he was in his second season as Wemby is now.

Only seven players in the 39 seasons the NBA has honored a most improved player has the honoree been in his second season and it hasn’t happened for a second year player since Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors in 2006-07.

• In summary, only one No. 1 overall pick has ever won the award, only seven second year players have and there hasn’t been one in 18 seasons.

It wouldn’t make sense for Wembanyama to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year, be a candidate for MVP as a No. 1 overall pick in his second year and win the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.

In this day and age, the voters probably wouldn’t cast their ballots with Wemby getting major votes in all three awards.

Other Top 2024-25 MIP Candidates

In addition to the raw numbers that go against Wembanyama’s odds, voters just might feel like us in that he’s too talented of a player for the award.

Besides a streak of four players between 2000-01 and 2003-04 when Tracy McGrady (the only future Hall of Famer to win), Jermaine O’Neal, Gilbert Arenas and Zach Randolph were the honorees, the talent level of a majority of the winners pale in comparison to Wembanyama.

Should the voters go with the “he’s a No. 1 overall pick” logic, below are the best candidates to take home 2024-25 MIP.

Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers

Should Wemby fall out of favor with voters for the reasons explained above, this fourth-year big man is our betting favorite. He has some of Wembanyama’s traits in terms of agility and mobility and is one of the NBA’s best defenders when healthy.

Mobley played in 50 games last year, so health will be a priority as well as Cleveland battling for a top four seed in the Eastern Conference.

• After going 48-34 last season, should the Cavs win 50 games and Mobley play as he did in his two 2023-24 play-in contests (18.5 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 2.0 bpg) he’ll be right in the mix at the end.

We also like the fact Mobley has a strong wok ethic, is a solid citizen and has improved his shooting percentages in each of the three seasons he’s played in the league.

Josh Giddy, Chicago Bulls

A chance of scenery sometimes does wonders for a young talent, and this fourth-year big guard will have plenty of opportunities to put up big numbers in the Windy City.

• Last season he started on an Oklahoma City Thunder club that went 57-25 with averages of 12.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, and 4.8 apg.

Giddy was then traded for Alex Caruso and is a more offensive-oriented player on a team that is simply not as talented as the one he left.

With DeMar DeRozan also gone and Zach LaVine coming off an injury-plagued season, Chicago is looking for steady play in crunch time along with timely buckets and if Giddy can provide that he’ll be in the race, especially if voters feel Wembanyama is likely to win defensive POY.

Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

One of the best picks of the 2022 NBA Draft (at No. 12), this big bodied wing guard with length has carved out a nice niche on a young and talented OKC roster. He improved plenty in his second season (19.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.5 apg) after making the 2023 all-NBA Rookie Team.

Williams can absorb punishment, is an instinctual offensive player and keeps defenses honest with his shooting (.540 2-pt, .427 3-pt). He’ll get tons of credit if the Thunder earn the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed for the second consecutive season.

Four Other MIP Candidates Worth Considering

(Listed Alphabetically)

NBA’s Most Improved Players of the Last Decade