Appreciating the Great Barrier Thief.
We’re almost to the halfway point of the NBA season and while the Hawks have had promising stretches this season, they’ve been bitten by the injury bug causing inconsistencies in the team.
There has been one constant outside of the usual Trae Young heroics we’ve become accustomed to in Atlanta. Dyson Daniels is the best non-big defender on the planet and maybe even Mars too. When the Hawks made the trade sending out Dejounte Murray, we were promised an elite point of attack defender that could help take pressure off of Trae Young and his ball handling duties. While Murray may have helped with the playmaking duties, the Hawks finished those seasons with defensive ratings of 22nd (115.4) and 27th (118.4), placing them firmly in the bottom half of the league.
This season? The Hawks sit at 13th (113.3) in the league and that starts with Dyson “Great Barrier Thief” Daniels.
Daniels and his defensive prowess have been the conversation of the early season, posting 296 defections (almost 100 more than no. 2) while also coming up with over three steals a game. Out of the top-4 leaders in stocks (steals plus blocks) in the NBA, there is only one guard: Dyson Daniels. He couldn’t be more elite defensively if he had ‘ELITE ON D’ tattooed across his forehead. Or maybe he wouldn’t get that exact wording, not sure.
His offense, however, was deemed a work in progress. No one expected Dyson to come into Atlanta and in year one be more than a marginal offensive piece. Yet all the kid does is surprise us here in Atlanta .
I’ll just say it: I think Dyson Daniels can be an All-Star. Daniels has already more than doubled his output on the season scoring 13.7 per game on 46% shooting from the field and 31.9% from three. Looking a little closer you’ll see that on two-point shots this season Daniels is shooting 52% on twos which is right under league average.
However, when you watch him, it becomes even more impressive because of how few offensive moves he’s actually developed. Right now he’s like a new baby deer trying to figure the world out. Most of his scoring comes on catch and shoots and transition baskets.
Earlier in the season if Dyson got the ball on a fast break, it seemed like he’d get so excited if was time to make a play. He hadn’t yet decided his next move and may lose the ball, but in the past two months (losing streak included) he’s made GREAT decisions in transition with the basketball and been more confident around the rim with his finishing.
Over the last 10 games, Daniels is averaging 15.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 3.6 stocks per game. As the season goes on, he seems more and more confident in his scoring and his playmaking ability.
The elephant in the room would be Daniels’ three-point shooting inconsistencies. At 32% on the season, my answer to that would check his history. He’s 21 years old, and at every instance he’s secured an opportunity he’s stepped up to the challenge. Having no peers defensively among the guards in the Eastern Conference comes with perks, namely not having to do as much offensively to impress voters and fans. If Dyson can raise his average to around 20 points a season without taking a step back defensively, he would jump to near the front of the line for shooting guards in the Eastern conference.
What’s that projection worth to the Hawks?
If Daniels makes an All-Defensive team, he’ll be the only Hawk to have won an award or made a selection team since Trae Young has been on the team, and that kind of value is irreplaceable for the Hawks.
With Jalen Johnson’s injury history, I’d say it’s imperative for the Hawks to get Daniels extended as soon as possible. He’s shown toughness and that he will be available for the Hawks and that he’s the type of player that will improve.
The question is what would they be comfortable paying? Is Dyson Daniels a max guy? Is he worth 25 million a year? In this brave new NBA world where the cap could make a 100 million dollar contract feel mid-level, would he even want to sign that?
It’s pretty simple to me, give Daniels a blank check and his agent a pen and walk out of the room. What is Dyson Daniels worth to the city of Atlanta?