The 2024-25 NBA season is still young, but a handful of players have already made a strong impression. This select group has clearly put in significant work over the summer, and it’s showing on the court.
Let’s take a look at three players making major leaps this season.
Honorable mention: Gradey Dick, Jordan Hawkins, Ivica Zubac and Bilal Coulibaly
Christian Braun
2023-24 statistics: 7.3 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.6 APG, 46.0 FG% and 38.4 3P%
2024-25 statistics: 16.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 1.6 APG, 55.8 FG% and 50.0 3P%
All offseason, the talk around the Denver Nuggets revolved around how much they’d miss Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who departed for the Orlando Magic in free agency. The running narrative was that Braun, though a solid reserve wing, simply wasn’t ready to fill a starting role for a team with championship aspirations. After the Nuggets opened the season with a sluggish 0-2 start, the criticism grew louder, with analysts and fans alike zeroing in on Braun’s perceived weaknesses—particularly his perimeter defense and his reluctance to shoot from deep.
Fast forward to mid-November and the Nuggets are thriving with a 7-3 record, even with Jamaal Murray and Aaron Gordon missing multiple games due to injury. Braun has stepped up in a big way, more than doubling his scoring output from last season while hitting 50% from beyond the arc and becoming a defensive stopper as well. Routinely tasked with guarding the opposing squad’s top perimeter scorer, Braun has held them in check: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at 46.2%, James Harden at 25.0%, Cam Thomas at 25.0%, and Tyler Herro at 28.6%. Meanwhile, Caldwell-Pope has struggled without the spacing Nikola Jokic provided in Denver, averaging just 6.8 PPG on 32.8% shooting.
Norman Powell
2023-24 statistics: 13.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 48.6 FG% and 43.5 3P%
2024-25 statistics: 25.5 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.4 APG, 51.5 FG% and 49.4 3P%
With Paul George now on the Philadelphia 76ers and Kawhi Leonard sidelined indefinitely with knee issues, Powell has seized the opportunity to step up his game. His usage rate has jumped from 20.0 last season to 26.9, and despite taking seven more shots per contest, his efficiency has improved.
Once known as a one-dimensional catch-and-shoot specialist, Powell has evolved into a versatile scoring threat, attacking the rim with far more frequency. His drives per game have risen from 5.0 last year to 11.0, where he’s finishing at an impressive 52.6% clip.
Powell’s strong play has been far from empty filler points on a lottery team. He’s been instrumental in helping the Clippers defy early expectations and start the season with a solid 6-4 record.
RJ Barrett
2023-24 statistics: 20.2 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 49.5 FG% and 36.0 3P%
2024-25 statistics: 23.9 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 6.4 APG, 44.4 FG% and 35.6 3P%
While Gradey Dick has boosted his scoring from 8.5 PPG as a rookie to an impressive 19.5 PPG this season, Barret is quietly making a different kind of leap, which lands him on our list. His raw numbers might not scream “Most Improved Player,” but he is finally impacting the game in ways that go beyond the box score.
In the past, Barrett was often seen as a tunnel-vision scorer whose selfish play could hinder his team’s success. This season, however, he has completely rewritten that narrative, emerging as the Raptors’ top playmaker, more than doubling his career assist average. Barrett is consistently creating opportunities for his teammates, demonstrating a newfound willingness to share the load.
Defensively, he’s making his presence felt in the little ways that lead to wins. Barret has boosted his deflections to a team-high 2.6 per game and is regularly guarding elite scorers like LeBron James, DeMar DeRozan, and Michael Porter Jr.
Honorable mention: Gradey Dick, Jordan Hawkins, Ivica Zubac and Bilal Coulibaly
