Can Clippers Ivica Zubac Win NBA's Most Improved Player Award?

As the 2025 NBA playoffs begin, the race for the league's season awards has been completed while we now await the final tally and announcement within the coming weeks.

The NBA MVP race is hotly debated between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, but there's another race with some intriguing early results coming through: the NBA's Most Improved Player Award.

All eyes have been on frontrunner Dyson Daniels and former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham (to the chagrin of award purists). But flying under the radar is Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, who could shock the basketball world and steal the award.

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Ivica Zubac Emerging as a Surprise Contender for NBA’s Most Improved Player

Despite not even being listed on BetMGM’s board when final odds closed, Zubac has quietly built a compelling case. While Daniels is the heavy betting favorite at -1250 and Cunningham trails at +400, Zubac has racked up significant support from respected voters.

As those with a vote reveal their picks, Zubac seems to have the support of a significant cohort of the NBA media.

Per the leaks (courtesy of Max Cores, @CroesFire), he's earned seven first-place votes, tied with Daniels, including two from The Ringer and one from CBS Sports. Those votes have propelled Zubac to the top of the official point tally with 46 total points, narrowly edging Daniels' 45 as of the latest confirmed ballots.

"What do you mean points," you may be asking. 

The Most Improved Player award doesn’t operate like MVP; it’s based on a point system—first-place votes are worth 5 points, second-place votes 3 points, and third-place votes 1 point. With Zubac receiving votes across all three tiers, his consistent recognition across ballots gives him a real shot.

The Case for Ivica Zubac to Win Most Improved Player

Statistically, Zubac’s leap has been impossible to ignore. The Clippers big man played in 80 games this season, starting all of them, and posted career-highs in nearly every major category—32.8 minutes, 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists, while shooting an efficient 62.8% from the field. That’s a significant jump from his 2023-24 output of 12.6 points and 9.4 rebounds. His improved offensive production, expanded minutes, and presence as a defensive anchor have turned heads around the league.

On defense, he averaged 1.1 blocks (third-best of career) and 0.7 steals (highest), while committing an average of just 2.1 personal fouls, his lowest mark since 2017-18.

Still, Zubac remains a dark horse—partly due to his lack of name recognition and partly due to being overshadowed by younger, flashier candidates. Cade Cunningham’s status as a former No. 1 pick might have even worked against him, with some voters already seeing him as an established top-tier talent in the NBA.

Regardless of the betting odds, Zubac’s rise from off-the-board to award contender proves that production, consistency, and voter respect can outweigh public perception. If current voting trends hold, Ivica Zubac could soon be holding the NBA’s Most Improved Player trophy in one of the most unexpected wins in recent memory.

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