5 young NBA players who have taken a massive leap this season feat. Dyson Daniels
Every year, several young NBA players show the results of their hard work during the offseason. Sometimes, these young players surprise the league by making a sudden, unexpected leap. Other times, young stars finally live up to expectations.
This year is no different, as many players have shown a massive performance improvement from last season. In no particular order, here are five young players who have improved massively from previous seasons.
Also read: NBA Trade Rumors: Suns' $70 million guard on radar ahead of trade deadline as Phoenix targets championship-level reinforcements
5 young NBA players who have displayed a lot of improvement this season
#1 Gradey Dick (21 years old)
Gradey Dick was taken 13th overall during the 2023 NBA Draft. Dick, who is listed at 6-foot-6, combined size, athleticism and sweet-shooting to become a lottery pick. He showed flashes of his potential during his rookie season by averaging 8.5 points per game while making 42.5% of his 7.4 attempts.
This year, Dick's sophomore year, he is on pace to average more than double what he did in his maiden season. In 17 games played, he has averaged 18.1 points per game. He has also been more aggressive in looking for his shot, as he has averaged 14.5 attempts and has nearly maintained similar efficiency (41.7%).
#2 Scotty Pippen Jr. (24 years old)
Scotty Pippen Jr. is in his third year in the NBA. He only played six games for the LA Lakers in his rookie season, averaging 2.3 ppg and 0.3 assists per game. In his sophomore year, Pippen Jr. only suited up in 21 games for the Memphis Grizzlies. During that year, he showed what he could with 12.9 ppg and 4.7 apg.
This season, Pippen Jr. has been relied on a whole lot more. He has played in all of the Grizzlies games this season (21) and has rewarded the coach's trust with his contribution. Pippen Jr. has established himself as one of the league's best playmakers, averaging 5.5 apg.
While this is only a marginal improvement from last year, the most impressive fact is that he is doing this as a larger part of the offense. At the time of writing, he is 22nd in the league in total assists with 115, just five behind Luka Doncic. He also wowed fans by logging his first NBA career triple-double (11 pts, ten rebs, 11 assists) against the Washington Wizards on Nov. 8.
#3 Franz Wagner (23 years old)
Franz Wagner has steadily improved as a scorer each year in the NBA. He averaged 15.2 ppg in his rookie year in 2021-22, 18.6 in year two, 19.7 last season and 23.4 ppg through the first 22 games of the 2024-25 season.
However, his steady improvement as the 2021 eighth-overall pick is not the most impressive thing about Wagner. It is the leadership that he has displayed with the Orlando Magic.
2024 All-Star Paolo Banchero has been sidelined with a torn right oblique since Nov. 1. However, the team's standings have not suffered. They did lose their first four games after Banchero's absence. But since then, the Magic have won 12 of 13 games.
The Magic are 15-7 at the time of writing and their stellar record can be attributed to Wagner stepping up in Banchero's absence.
#4 Dyson Daniels (21 years old)
Being an elite defender and a reliable scorer can ensure a long career for an NBA player. If the leap that Dyson Daniels has taken this season is any indication, he could be setting himself up for a long and successful career.
After only averaging 3.8 ppg and 5.8 ppg in his rookie and sophomore seasons, the Australian guard has made the leap to 13.5 ppg in 19 games this year.
However, it isn't his scoring that has caught the attention of others. Daniels leads the NBA in steals, with 3.0 per game. The Atlanta Hawks star also has the most takeaways in the league so far, with 57. His emergence as a defensive specialist has earned him the nickname "Great Barrier Thief."
#5 LaMelo Ball (23 years old)
LaMelo Ball has already shown that he can win awards in the league when he's healthy. He was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 2021, averaging 15.7 ppg and 6.1 apg. He also proved that he could be an All-Star in his second year, averaging 20.1 ppg and 7.6 apg.
However, he seems to have unlocked a new level to his game this year, averaging a career-best 31.1 ppg. Previously, his best scoring average was 23.9, which he had done last season.
The only thing holding Ball back from becoming a superstar is his health. Although he has only played in a combined 58 games in the last two seasons, LaMelo Ball could become one of the NBA's most exciting young stars if he remains healthy.