The Atlanta Hawks are in the middle of the pack when it comes to defense this season, and though it takes a group effort to accomplish something like that, one of the biggest reasons has been the play of Dyson Daniels. So far through the year, Daniels has collected 151 steals, which is more than any player since the start of the 2019 season.
Daniels puts his imprint on every game as he takes on the challenge of guarding the opposing team’s best player. Not every player is the same, and every steal isn’t either, but Daniels shared how he’s able to make things happen on the defensive side of the ball.
It’s reading the game and making sure that I ‘gamble responsibly’ as I say when I go for steals,” Daniels said during Hawks’ practice. “A lot of times I’m coming from weakside getting them, if I could put pressure on the ball and get hands on it, I like doing that. It’s about being solid and making sure I’m not fouling, playing straight-up defense, and contesting shots.
“When I’m guarding guys, I know they have the ball in a vulnerable position, that’s when I swipe at it. I’m going to keep getting them because that’s just how I play, but I want to keep myself out of foul trouble.”
Daniels has shown different ways throughout the season that he’s been able to get steals, and more times than not, and it ends up being easy points for the Hawks on the other end of the floor. As long as he’s causing havoc, the Hawks should be one of the better defensive teams in the league.
Dyson Daniels continues to put imprint on Hawks’ defense
The Hawks have been impressed with what Dyson Daniels is doing on defense, and it has translated throughout the entire team. The Hawks have been in the bottom half of the league defensively for the past few seasons, but it has been a completely different story this year. The Hawks are playing as a collective unit, and Daniels has been the key to their success when it comes to defense.
“I think when you’re out there on the floor with him, it can’t help but raise your level as well,” head coach Quin Snyder said earlier in the season. “So Dyson’s impact, he impacts in a lot of different ways. He impacts his teammates. He certainly impacts his matchup. He impacts off the ball as well.”
Over the past few weeks, not only has Daniels made an impact on defense, but his offensive game has been picking up as well. With the Hawks looking to find some consistency at the guard position when Trae Young is on the bench, Daniels has stepped in and not only been a scoring option but is finding his teammates for easy buckets as well.
If Daniels can continue to show consistency on offense, he’ll truly be a two-way player in the league.
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