Prospect Spotlight: Dyson Daniels

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

[jayu70]

Read on Twitter

[tbhawksfan1]

Really like DD. It's going to be great watching him grow as a Hawk

[Jamaaliver]

Predicting one breakout player for each NBA team



The trendy pick here would be Jalen Johnson. Almost every outlet and fantasy basketball preview this season has already churned out several words about why he is “next”. While I agree he is primed for a breakout season, the newly acquired Dyson Daniels is a name that is not being talked about enough. So let’s focus on him.

Acquired in the Dejounte Murray trade with the Pelicans, Daniels is a former lottery pick with a clear path to minutes and will get the bulk of those minutes alongside a true point guard in Trae Young. Last season, Daniels appeared in 61 games (16 starts) and averaged 5.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 22.3 minutes. His 44/31/64 shooting splits left a lot to be desired, but defense is his calling card.

In his preseason debut for Atlanta, Daniels compiled 14 points, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 rebound in 22 minutes on 5-8 shooting from the field. He hit one of his three attempts from three-point range. If he can figure out his shot, the rest of his offensive game will work itself out with Trae Young finding him on cuts or leaking out in transition for easy buckets.

SB Nation

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

[jayu70]

When Tabitha asked Dyson in his post game interview in the locker room about the Claxton foul, he said, “yeah, we’re not gonna take **** from anybody.” love it!!!

[Jamaaliver]

What Dyson whispered to Nic Claxton after that hard foul on opening night...

Spoiler:

[jayu70]

What Dyson whispered to Nic Claxton after that hard foul on opening night...

Spoiler:

[dms269]

I love the energy and fire from him. We have been missing something like that since Zaza and Ivan Johnson.

[TheBallsDeeper]

He will make an all-defensive team in the next two years.

He is focussing on putting on size over the offseason - looks jacked playing for Australia.

If you are interested he does a long interview with an Australian sports commentator

https://www.howiegames.com/podcast/213-dyson-daniels-part-a/

Just bumping this to reshare the podcast link (but also to say that I was spot on - best on-ball defender in the league!! )

[Jamaaliver]

The off-season workout vids seem to suggest [Jalen] is definitely working that part of his game. Him taking a step, and DD being Trae's possible best fitting backcourt mate is what keeps me intrigued about our potential upside this year.

The above sentiment concerns me.

...I think the early expectations may be too high for a guy with such limited scoring talent.

At the end of the day, I feel the kid has a much higher ceiling than he's given credit for. I'm not going to sit here and say he'll be an All NBA talent, but he's got enough upside to be more than he currently is.

I was wrong, Geaux Hawks.

Dyson indeed looks like an ideal fit next to a high usage, defensively-deficient guard like Trae.

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

Read on Twitter

[Jamaaliver]

Breakout Picks for 2025-26

Dyson Daniels
Atlanta Hawks | Guard

Watch on YouTube

As fantastic as Daniels has been in his first season with the Hawks -- and rest assured, he'll get a fair share of votes for NBA Most Improved Player -- there's reason to believe next season could be even better for him and his Atlanta teammates.

But why?

"There's times when it looks like he's beat, but he's able to recover so well. And sometimes we get into trouble because guys end up overhelping [thinking Daniels can't get back into the play], and now someone else is open," Hawks coach Quin Snyder said.

Learning to play alongside All-Star Trae Young should only get easier for the 21-year-old Daniels, who has averaged career numbers in his third year. One potential indication of him settling in: He's shot 51% overall and nearly 38% from 3 since the All-Star break, up from 47% and 33% prior to that. It's an encouraging offensive run to build on, particularly with how great he's already been on defense.

Key stat: The ever-widening statistical gap between Daniels and the rest of the league in terms of deflections is ridiculous. He has 393, while second-place Kelly Oubre Jr. (Philadelphia) has 248. That gap of 145 is the same as the one between Oubre and Orlando's Goga Bitadze, who ranks 125th in deflections. Beyond that, just last week, Daniels logged his 192nd steal, giving him the most in a single season in more than a decade.

ESPN Insider

[atlantabbq99]

DD is already on the same level as Tony Allen and Marcus Smart, but lets see if he can take another big leap next year and get on the same level as Pacers' Ron Artest......

[atlantabbq99]

I'm starting to single out Daniels.

Same, especially after he referenced Alex Caruso as the player he models his game on. I think it's a great sign he understands his projectable skills.

Dyson Daniels

Australian playmaker taking advantage of the G League route by showcasing his trustworthy facilitating and lockdown defense

Watch on YouTube

Height: 6'6"
Weight: 199
Age: 19.2
Shades of Derrick White, Kyle Anderson, Evan Turner

PLUSES

• Doesn’t need plays run for him to make an impact. He’s an aware cutter and offensive rebounder. He’s good at reading mismatches and makes smart improvisational plays. He can score and facilitate from inside with the size to back down or shoot a turnaround jumper over smaller players. If he starts hitting spot-up 3s, he’ll have all the skills he needs to thrive.
• Much like fellow Australian Josh Giddey, Daniels’s passing is his real appeal. He’s such an advanced pick-and-roll artist that he’s already able to draw in defenders with the threat of his floater and pull-up, only to throw a jump pass to his rolling big man. He just executes at a high level. When a shooter comes off a screen, he puts the ball right in their pocket. If a play is called for a lob, he makes it easy for the guy leaping to the basket. There’s no pass that he can’t make.
• Coordinated ball handler who plays at his own pace. He has clean footwork on spins and he can glide into runners. Though he isn’t especially explosive, he knows how to use his skills to his advantage with angles and touch.
• Excellent defender with the versatility to defend guards and wings. His intelligence translates on this end with the way he positions himself and sticks to his man. But he’s not just a basketball nerd who studies hard—he plays his ass off and sets the tone for his teammates. Fans will love this guy immediately.

MINUSES

• Subpar shooter who made only 29.9 percent of his 3s and 53.3 percent of his free throws. He has touch on floaters and layups but it hasn’t translated to the perimeter. When he shoots, he looks like a chair unfolding. Improving his shot, whether that requires changing his form or not, should be his first priority. With a more reliable jumper, his play would evoke shades of Tyrese Haliburton.
• He’s a slower-footed shot creator who needs to tighten his handle to have the same type of success generating space at the next level. Kyle Anderson went through the same adjustment as a rookie in the NBA and now he's in his eighth season.
• Since he isn’t explosive, he tends to attempt a lot of difficult layups. It works for him in the G League, but scoring against NBA length will be a whole different challenge.

11.3PPG 4.4APG .540TS% 3P% 25.5 on 51 3PA FT% 73.7

The Ringer

Scouting report from 2022 is spot on. Who wrote this?

[Jamaaliver]

Scouting report from 2022 is spot on. Who wrote this?

This particular report, from The Ringer, was likely written by Kevin O'Connor.

[TheBallsDeeper]

He will make an all-defensive team in the next two years.

He is focussing on putting on size over the offseason - looks jacked playing for Australia.

If you are interested he does a long interview with an Australian sports commentator

https://www.howiegames.com/podcast/213-dyson-daniels-part-a/

Bumping this post again to boast about my prediction, but more importantly to share the podcast link to a great interview from around the time of the Olympics last year.

[HMFFL]

DD is already on the same level as Tony Allen and Marcus Smart, but lets see if he can take another big leap next year and get on the same level as Pacers' Ron Artest......

His shooting took leaps this season as he knew he was the man at the 2 spot.

Our ownership better be ready ro pay him.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using RealGM Forums mobile app

[Jamaaliver]

Bumping this post again to boast about my prediction, but more importantly to share the podcast link to a great interview from around the time of the Olympics last year.