The Hawks sit with a 4-7 record and don’t look like a playoff-caliber team night in and night out. That doesn’t mean Atlanta can’t put it together over the next 70 games or so and make a postseason push.
However, this season is more about building for the future. The offseason was headlined by the Dejounte Murray trade as the franchise finally admitted the pairing with Trae Young just wasn’t working. Atlanta had to take a step back to move forward.
The Hawks ended up winning the lottery and drafted a potential franchise pillar in Zaccharie Risacher, but it’s not the club’s top pick who has been the offseason’s best acquisition. The Dejounte Murray trade netted a couple of first-round picks and three players, one being Dyson Daniels.
The former lottery pick didn’t really fit in New Orleans, but he’s been a defensive godsend in Atlanta, which is exactly what was needed with Trae Young in the backcourt.
On the season, Daniels is averaging 12.8 points on 45% shooting from the field and and 27.8% from deep, but that’s not where his impact is felt. He’s currently leading the NBA in steals per game (3.3) and deflections per game (7.3). Every single game, Daniels pops on the defensive end of the court.
It’s not the sexy stat line that Trae Young boasts. He’ll likely never score 30 points and log 10 assists, but that’s not what the Hawks need next to their star point guard. Dyson Daniels fits perfectly next to Young.
While Zaccharie Risacher has a much higher ceiling and will likely prove to be the better player over the careers, Dyson Daniels is contributing to winning basketball in a way the Hawks have been desperately missing over the last couple of seasons.
It’s not a championship roster right now, but it’s certainly a step in the right direction, and Daniels is clearly a piece to build around.
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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