Dyson Daniels unlocking more tools
Hawks guard Dyson Daniels has put together a strong season.
Yes, Daniels has not shot the ball as well as his first season with the Hawks. Yes, Daniels has had one of his worst seasons (13.2% 3-point field goal percentage) as a shooter.
But outside of his struggles beyond the arc, Daniels has had one of the best all-around seasons. In 62 games, Daniels had averaged 11.5 points per contest while shooting 50.7% from the floor.
Much of that has come from Daniels’ emergence as one of the Hawks’ best offensive rebounders. The Hawks have put an increased emphasis on their players crashing the glass, as they look to generate more possessions each night.
This season, Daniels has averaged 2.2 offensive rebounds per game, tied for the highest average on the team. Daniels has grabbed 6.5% of the Hawks’ missed field goals, the 13th-best mark among wings in the NBA this season.
“I think one thing I’m always in a position to crash, you know, being the dunker in the corner and stuff like that,” Daniels said. “So they want us to crash. Like, why not? Because more possessions. (Hawks coach) Quin’s (Snyder) been talking about the possession game a lot lately — less turnovers and more offensive rebounds.
“And we had turnovers (Saturday night), but I think just being able to get in there, crash; if I can grab it, grab it. If not, tip it out, try to get it to our advantage. I mean, those extra possessions are killers when you kick out (for) 3s and stuff like that. They’re backbreakers. So just trying to do my part there and get as many as I can.”
Daniels’ efforts on the offensive glass have become one of the more underrated parts of his game this season. But his work as a ballhandler and facilitator has not gone unnoticed this year.
The Hawks did not sign a true point guard last summer because they had always planned to use a committee of players to handle minutes when former guard Trae Young went to the bench. Then Young suffered an MCL sprain that ended up limiting him to five games in a Hawks uniform before the team dealt him to the Wizards in January.
Young’s absence ended up speeding up the Hawks’ need to figure out how to make their staff of playmakers work.
Now, with 17 games left in the regular season, Daniels averages the second-most assists behind All-Star forward Jalen Johnson. Through 62 games, Daniels is averaging a career-best 6.2 assists.
Roughly 24% of the Hawks’ shot attempts this season have come off assists from Daniels. His dishes have generated on average 16.1 points per game, the 22nd-most in the NBA this season.
But Daniels’s confidence has really shone over the Hawks’ recent seven-game win streak. Over the last seven outings, Daniels has had 50 assists to just four turnovers.
“Dyson has been huge for us, not just over this winning streak, but the whole year,” Johnson said. “Dyson brings pretty much every aspect to the game, and he’s somebody that is just always willing to get better and always willing to learn.
“So obviously, those (50 assists to four turnovers), it’s insane. It’s just a testament to the work, and obviously, we need him to keep being big for us.”
Over the last seven games, Daniels looks to his teammates have generated 19.5 points per game, the 10th-most in that stretch.
“He’s just been steady,” Hawks guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker said. “Just been really steady. He gets to the paint at will, and he’s poised.
“He does a really good job of playing off two feet and staying under control, and I think that’s why he’s had success in making plays for others. He’s really starting to slow down. And the game you can really see is slowing down for him, as well.”
Though Daniels’ offense has grown in other ways, his defense continues to stand out. While it isn’t always reflected in the number of steals he forces, the Hawks continue to rely on him as the head of the snake in some ways.
The Hawks preach collective defense, but still often deploy Daniels on an opposing team’s best player. Just last week, they swapped Daniels onto Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo after the first half of their game in Milwaukee. They played some minutes with Daniels on last year’s No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg in Tuesday’s win.
“Obviously, they’ve gone down this year,” Daniels said. “I think, to me, guys are being a little more careful with the ball. But for me, it’s about being solid as well. On the ball, trying to create turnovers is good, but also keeping my man in front, keeping them out of their sets, trying to pick up a little bit more as well.
“So just being more physical. The steals have gone down, but it was going to be hard to keep it at three (a game) every year … I feel like I started the season slowly with my defense. The last few games, I have kind of taken the challenge of, really, the best player, trying to take them out of the game.”
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