ATLANTA — There’s a scene in Recreation 1 of the Atlanta Hawks-New York Knicks collection that illustrates numerous what’s took place with Dyson Daniels this season: each what makes his 12 months somewhat disappointing and what makes it exceptional.
Halfway during the 3rd quarter, he won a cross close to the appropriate baseline in a place the place a participant may typically try a nook 3. Daniels, then again, didn’t even take a look at the rim.
As an alternative, he whirred instantly right into a handoff to the close by CJ McCollum, the use of himself as a display screen, and let McCollum shoot the three as a substitute. McCollum splashed it, certainly one of 11 Daniels assists that recreation — 4 of which got here on “handoff” performs very similar to this one, when Daniels to start with used to be open and typically may have shot it himself. Right here’s any other instance from previous within the recreation involving Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
Daniels, alas, isn’t so threatening when he’s taking the shot himself. He made handiest 22 of his 117 3-point makes an attempt this season, completing with a sad 18.8 %. In doing so, he changed into the primary participant in NBA historical past to take a minimum of 115 3-point makes an attempt and nonetheless end underneath the Mendoza Line. The former low used to be Tony Wroten’s 21.3 % for the Procedure Philadelphia 76ers in 2013-14.
This all got here as a little bit of a wonder. Whilst Daniels hasn’t ever been perplexed with top Steph Curry, a 12 months previous, he shot 34.0 % from 3 on a not-inconsequential 3.1 makes an attempt according to recreation. There used to be no actual explanation why to be expecting him to unexpectedly grow to be the worst-shooting guard within the league at age 22.
However he did. And as he slumped, combatants’ methods advanced. They began giving Daniels acres of area when he stuck the ball on the 3-point line, all however bold him to shoot. They began hanging their heart on Daniels and a ahead at the Hawks’ 6-foot-8 heart Onyeka Okongwu. And in reaction, the Hawks had been necessarily pressured to invert their whole offense.
It’s possible you’ll assume this could were a sad flip of occasions that sidelined Daniels’ promising occupation, particularly in our present technology, the place ground spacing is paramount.
Not anything might be farther from the reality. Confronted with skilled extinction as a result of his 3-pointer deserted him, Daniels as a substitute has completely reinvented his recreation in not up to one season. He’s now successfully the middle on offense, and Okongwu is a ahead, with Okongwu in most cases spacing to the nook or elbow to permit a pick-and-roll involving Daniels and a ballhandler area to prepare dinner.
“Clearly, I haven’t shot the ball how I sought after, in order that’s why I’m getting guarded that manner,” Daniels mentioned just lately. “However I’ve to search out alternative ways to be efficient.
“It’s like I’m the 5 now. Particularly when the 5 is on me, I play the similar function that the 5 does in numerous the screening movements, up best and in handoffs and stuff like that.”
The affect numbers would inform you he’s the similar man. Daniels’ across-the-board stats (apart from 3-point share) are just about similar to his Maximum Progressed Participant-winning numbers from 2024-25; a fifteen.5 PER this season in comparison to 15.6, a 54.2 % true taking pictures in comparison to 54.5 and a 1.3 BPM in comparison to 1.5.
It’s new for Daniels, who most commonly performed level guard in his adolescence, but it surely additionally places his velocity on show in opposition to a lot slower bigs when he catches at the transfer.
“I love it, it’s amusing,” he mentioned. “I’ve rolled in the entire movements.”
And sure, when he catches the ball broad open on the 3-point line, and there isn’t a screening alternative close by, there are some instances when he simply we could it fly anyway.
Right here’s a scene from Recreation 3 in opposition to the Knicks the place Daniels is spaced to the nook, and his defender, OG Anunoby, sells out to prevent Jalen Johnson sooner than appearing handiest the mildest of shock that Daniels is taking pictures a three from the nook. (Alas, he must were a little bit extra considering Okongwu trucking down the lane for a tip dunk.)
In the event you’re curious, the Hawks are OK with Daniels letting it fly, one thing that trainer Quin Snyder showed after I requested him about it immediately in March. They would like Daniels to take the shot when he’s open and shoot it with self assurance.
However Daniels has additionally spotted that the sagging bigs who’re “guarding” him on the 3-point line are in no place to lend a hand on a display screen, so he’s discovered the price of quick-hitting handoffs to raised shooters if he can to find one close by.
“That’s simply how I discovered how to be efficient, with a cross-match particularly,” Daniels mentioned. “A large number of groups, with their [five] guarding me a long way off … I see cracks, after which, I am getting my teammates open.”
Golden State Warriors enthusiasts may acknowledge this actual piece of artistry. It’s one thing Draymond Inexperienced has executed 1000 instances over with Curry, particularly when combatants dare Inexperienced to shoot.
Slowly however undoubtedly, it’s changing into a part of Daniels’ arsenal as smartly — particularly because the Hawks imported two motion shooters in McCollum and Alexander-Walker during the last 12 months.
“I’ve watched Draymond so much, sufficient to peer how he does it,” Daniels mentioned. “I must almost certainly watch him extra to peer how he makes use of the entire little tips.”
As for Okongwu, his reinvention has arguably been simply as vital. It is a participant who had now not made a unmarried 3-pointer in his first two professional seasons; in his 6th season, then again, he attempted extra 3s than within the first 5 years blended, a whopping 5.2 according to recreation.
To provide you with some concept of ways continuously he introduced, Okongwu took extra 3s this common season than Devin Booker, Quentin Grimes, Cade Cunningham or Victor Wembanyama. Most effective 3 facilities (Naz Reid, Bam Adebayo and Myles Turner) let it rip from past the arc extra continuously.
It’s been an crucial a part of the Hawks’ adjustment. Enjoying subsequent to a extra conventional, rim-running heart (similar to former starter Clint Capela) would have left Daniels in a a lot more tenuous state of affairs.
“The best way he shoots it, they truly need to recognize him, and he opens up the ground for different guys. So I believe it’s truly higher for the fellows like myself, particularly like [with] CJ and Jalen, so I will be able to get downhill, or I will be able to stay taking part in within the dunker and get simple dropoffs and lobs and offensive rebounds.”
However about the ones 3-pointers…
Hawks other folks will inform you that Daniels’ shot seems excellent at the apply courtroom, and when you watched him in pregame warm-ups, you’d by no means wager he’s taking pictures within the teenagers. Alas, his self assurance hasn’t carried over into video games, a development exacerbated for a large bite of the season via his continuously handiest taking one an evening.
In the midst of the season, particularly, a normal recreation development would see him let one rip within the first part, then prevent taking them the remainder of the sport if it ignored. He has 22 separate video games this season the place he completed 0-for-1 from 3; after an 0-for-5 trip in opposition to the San Antonio Spurs on Dec. 19, Daniels used to be both 0-of-0 or 0-of-1 in 13 of the following 15 video games.
Encouragingly, he’s been a little bit extra prepared to release in the second one part of the season, together with 31 makes an attempt in his closing 14 video games (common season and playoffs). He’s additionally been a little bit extra correct of overdue, with a lukewarm stretch of 10-of-24 taking pictures within the ultimate dozen video games of the common season, permitting him to complete the season with extra makes than airballs. (Child steps.)
There’s a convenience in Daniels taking pictures them extra, in truth; one particular person just about the Hawks insisted to me that he’d glance kind of wonderful if he took 5 a recreation and didn’t have to fret such a lot about whether or not the primary one went in. A season previous, he took a minimum of 5 in a recreation on 18 events. This 12 months, it’s took place simply as soon as since Christmas.
“Clearly, I’m now not proud of how I’ve shot it this 12 months, and it’s one thing for the offseason,” Daniels mentioned. “However like I mentioned, this recreation is much more than simply taking pictures. [It’s] the defensive finish. It’s about being a cutter. It’s about screening. It’s about rebounding, so I simply discovered alternative ways to lend a hand us win video games.”
Make no mistake: The Hawks will proceed his tutelage this summer season, with the assistance of an all-time marksman in assistant normal supervisor Kyle Korver. Getting Daniels again to being a minimum of a 1-in-3 proposition from the fringe is a vital function for a franchise that dedicated $100 million to him over the following 4 seasons. And at simply 23, Daniels has numerous developmental runway in entrance of him.
Within the intervening time, Daniels has discovered sufficient alternative ways to affect the sport. “The Nice Barrier Thief” has 10 steals in 4 video games in opposition to New York and has been the principle defender because the Hawks have stressed Knicks celebrity Jalen Brunson into 41.6 % taking pictures thru Recreation 4.
It might not be best, however the guard from Down Underneath has discovered a option to flip his recreation the other way up. And in doing so, he’s grow to be one of the vital attention-grabbing and rarest gamers within the league.