NEW YORK, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 11: Dyson Daniels #5 of the Atlanta Hawks celebrates a shot during … [+]
The Atlanta Hawks are in a weird place this season, due to their first-round selection being owned by the San Antonio Spurs, giving the franchise no incentive to lose for the change of higher odds at the draft lottery.
Of course, that means they’ve gone in the other direction, and have made the most of being ultra competitive all year long, despite long odds for a potential championship.
(Odds that worsened even more when Jalen Johnson went down with a season-ending shoulder injury.)
So for Atlanta, the arrival of Dyson Daniels over the offseason has been a godsend.
Explosive defense
The Australian native has been nothing short of a revelation for Atlanta, as he came over from the New Orleans Pelicans last summer in the Dejounte Murray trade.
At just 21, Daniels is leading the league with three steals per game, and is playing some of the most disruptive perimeter defense of anyone in the NBA.
Daniels, who is 6’8 and enormously athletic, has already – at such a young age – found a way to bridge the two aspects, and combine them with his uncanny basketball IQ that takes into account timing, player tendencies, and anticipation.
He’ll routinely surprise opponents by throwing his body into passing lanes of both long and short passes, often forcing offensive players to initiate actions as far away from him as possible, which is a similar strategy teams utilize against Victor Wembanyama, Jaren Jackson Jr, Evan Mobley, and Draymond Green.
Essentially, it’s the biggest sign of respect by offensive players, just as it’s a fear of seeing the ball get swiped.
Daniels also challenges shots at the rim, switches effortlessly, and can guard multiple positions. He’s become a Swiss army knife for Atlanta, and is a big reason as to why they’re not rolling around the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Improving offense
Playing alongside Trae Young has allowed the three-year man to focus on more opportunistic offensive basketball, minimizing any need of self-creation. This means fresh legs to play defense, and run in transition, which Daniels make good use of.
This isn’t to say Daniels can’t create on his own, as just over 50% of his offense is assisted, but given the amount of turnovers he’s forcing, which allows him to get out in the open floor, that percentage is slightly misleading.
While the Hawks won’t have a problem with Daniels trying to break down poor defenses off the dribble in the regular season, they’re likely not inclined to let him test that out in a playoff series.
Given that Daniels is just 21, however, it goes without saying that the Hawks expect him to grow offensively as he matures, and as his experience level increases. To what end? That remains to be seen, but if Daniels can become just an average three-point shooter on quality volume, that would instantaneously catapult him into All-Star territory.
For the Hawks, this season doesn’t have an obvious goal, but if the takeaway will be the arrival of Dyson Daniels – who’ll be eligible for a contract extension after this season – it might end up being worth it.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
