Experts make bold call on which Warriors player is most likely to win major award

Brandin Podziemski declared he wants to be in the Most Improved Player conversation during an interview in July, but the young guard may not even be the strongest candidate from the Golden State Warriors.

Jonathan Kuminga exploded into contention for Most Improved Player late last season, yet surprisingly failed to earn a single vote in an award that was ultimately won by Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey.

That could aid Kuminga's hopes of the award entering next season, with both he and Podziemski expected to take on larger roles with the Warriors following the departures of veteran pair Klay Thompson and Chris Paul.

ESPN experts believe Golden State Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is a legitimate candidate for Most Improved Player next season

Kuminga is a stronger candidate for Most Improved than Podziemski, at least according to a group of experts at ESPN who were asked for their predictions on every single NBA award. Kuminga ranked eighth among 13 players who got at least one vote for MIP, while Podziemski failed to receive any despite his touted role for next season and strong form during his brief stint in Summer League.

There's arguably more room for improvement for Podziemski, particularly from a scoring standpoint after last year's 19th overall pick averaged 9.2 points compared to Kuminga's 16.1 points per game last season.

Kuminga may need to average nearly 25 points in order to make a strong case -- something that's unlikely but perhaps not impossible given Golden State's major need to unearth a legitimate second scorer next to Stephen Curry.

San Antonio Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams received the most votes on the ESPN poll, with Chicago Bulls guard Coby White ranked third on the poll despite finishing as the runner-up in MIP last season.

Draymond Green was the only other Warrior player to feature in any of the major award predictions, having received four points in the poll of who will win Defensive Player of the Year. Curry failed to receive a vote for Most Valuable Player, with Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic the favorite according to ESPN's experts.