Predicting the 5 Most Improved Players of the 2025-26 NBA Season

We're only one week into the NBA season, but just a few games in, it is easy to spot who has been working on their game. Several players have come into the year ready to showcase the work they have done.

Development in the NBA is not linear and can be subtle at times. For one player, improvement is just a case of everything coming together and being a perfect fit for their squad. Another case can be a superstar who might end up being in the MVP conversation.

Here are five players who could end up as the most improved players in the NBA, whether or not they ultimately win 2026 MIP.

Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors

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It was a long and contentious offseason for Jonathan Kuminga and the Golden State Warriors. But since coming to terms on a new contract, Kuminga has exploded onto the scene for the Warriors, raising their ceiling.

Kuminga has made a leap on both ends of the court. In his previous seasons, he often found himself not fitting into Steve Kerr's offense. He'd become a ball stopper, trying to create a shot on his own, usually ending up with a quick hook. But that has not been the case four games into this season.

Offensively, Kuminga is making the right reads. Like the example below, he sees the defense shading toward him and throws a pass in open space for Draymond Green to get a layup. He's averaging four assists with plays like that.

Kuminga is shooting a career high from three, connecting on 42.9 percent from deep on 3.5 attempts. That is almost six percentage points higher than his last career high during the 2022-23 season.

Even more impressive has been Kuminga's defensive IQ. He is much more engaged on that end of the floor and competing at a high level. On a critical possession against the Denver Nuggets, Nikola Jokić has Steph Curry switched onto him. Before Denver can get him the ball, Kuminga scram switches Curry and comes up with a critical stop on Jokić.

That is a play Kuminga would not even recognize last season. He has shown massive growth on both ends of the floor. If this improvement is real and sustainable, the Warriors will be much better than most expected.

VIctor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

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Speaking of leaps, Victor Wembanyama has made the leap...again.

He is probably too good to be in a Most Improved Player conversation, but at the same time, he is very hard to keep out.

Wemby has been outstanding to start the season. He's averaging 31 points per game on the same number of field goal attempts. The significant improvement is coming from the shot selection. Last season, out of his 18.6 attempts, 8.8 of them were threes, hitting 35.2 percent. This season, he's attempting just 2.8 threes from deep.

A product of his taking more twos is his skyrocketing free-throw attempts. He has gone from 4.1 attempts last year to 10 this season.

One more offensive area in which Wemby has improved is his ball-handling. A 7'4" player should not have handles like this.

Clearly, he worked on tightening his handling, and it is showing.

Let's also not forget that Wemby has gotten even better as a shot blocker, going from 3.8 blocks last season to 4.8 this season. He's improved his rebounding as well, pulling down 13.8 per contest.

Wemby might be too big for most-improved-player talk and could instead be in the running for the MVP conversation. Either way, everyone should be scared that he keeps getting better.

Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

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Another crazy-good 7-footer making strides in his game is Chet Holmgren.

With Jalen Williams out to start the season, Holmgren has the opportunity to show off his game, and it is showing.

Right off the bat, Holmgren has shown an offensive aggression that has not been there in the previous two seasons. His scoring is up from 15 to 23 points this season. He's shooting 41.7 percent from three on six attempts. And on top of the improved shooting, he's getting to the line seven times a game.

Holmgren is shooting 56.9 percent from the field, and he's doing it in a variety of ways. He is also rebounding at a higher clip, averaging 10.3 boards nightly.

There is a question of whether this is sustainable once Williams comes back. But suppose Holmgren can maintain this level of play when the Thunder are at full strength. The third head of the three-headed monster has just leveled up, and everyone is in trouble.

Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls

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Last season, Matas Buzelis showcased his athleticism and dunking prowess. This season, he has already shown improvements in his game that go beyond being an explosive dunker.

To start 2025-26, Buzelis is in a bit of a shooting slump from three, and that has not deterred him one bit. He has turned into a dynamic driver. He has even mastered the ability to get into the defender's body with his shoulder before going up. Creating that contact has gotten Buzelis to the line four times a game.  

Buzelis' minutes have gone up, and with that, his scoring has increased from 8.6 to 13.3 per game this year. That is with him shooting just 16.7 percent from three, down from 36.1 percent from last year.

It can be tough for a second-year player to win the Most Improved Player award, but if Buzelis' shooting returns to last year's form, he is going to have a strong case.

Kyshawn George, Washington Wizards

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It is easy to go unnoticed, but second-year player Kyshawn George has made one of the biggest leaps of any sophomore player in that class.

He has exploded to start the season.

George has more than doubled his scoring output from 8.7 points to 20.3 points. He's shooting 56.8 from the field and 52.6 from three on 6.3 points. George is doing it from three, off-ball cutting, on-ball, and handing out 4.3 assists.

It is not just on offense where George is seeing improvement. In Washington's win against Dallas, he had three blocks and two steals.

The Wizards might have a young core piece on their hands right now. And if he continues to play this way, George's name will continue to rise in the MIP conversation.

Mo Dakhil spent six years with the Los Angeles Clippers and two years with the San Antonio Spurs as a video coordinator, as well as three years with the Australian men's national team. Follow him on X, @MoDakhil_NBA.