The Atlanta Hawks may once again find themselves vying for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference for the third consecutive year. However, this season feels distinctly different, thanks to the surge of youth on display each night.
In yesterday’s matchup, the Hawks were without Jalen Johnson, and Trae Young struggled, scoring just seven points on seven shots (though he did record a season-high 19 assists). These aren’t the types of games Atlanta was winning last season, but they managed to pull out a thrilling road victory against the Kings, despite it being the second night of a back-to-back.
De’Andre Hunter, who has recently returned from injury, led the charge off the bench with 24 points in just 25 minutes on 9-of-15 shooting. Meanwhile, #1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher led all starters in scoring with 18 points, along with three rebounds, two assists, two steals, and a block. It was the rookie’s second-most impressive performance of the season, but if you’ve been paying attention, you already know the story. The key to the Hawks’ victory was none other than “The Great Barrier Thief,” Dyson Daniels.
Since his arrival from New Orleans, Daniels has quickly turned heads across the league with his defensive prowess, emerging as a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate, and it’s hard to find a close second right now. Daniels leads the league in both steals and deflections, with a clear gap between him and the competition. However, yesterday’s win wasn’t about his typical stats. Daniels didn’t record a steal until the final play of the game, but what he did do was lock down De’Aaron Fox in a crucial one-on-one matchup.
Fox, who has been playing at an MVP-caliber level, entered the game fresh off a historic stretch — scoring 60 points on Friday and 49 on Saturday. There’s no stopping him right now; you can only hope to slow him down. And that’s exactly what Daniels did, limit Fox to a much more modest 28 points and stripping him on the final play to seal the victory for Atlanta.
Daniels finished the game with 14 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on the offensive end. Defensively, he added four blocks and provided more highlight-worthy film for coaches at all levels to showcase. This is the kind of player the Hawks have been searching for next to Trae Young—a true defensive stopper who is also showing signs of growth on the offensive side. At just 21 years old, Daniels, along with the rest of Atlanta’s young core, is proving they can compete with anyone on any given night.
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Photographer: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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