Dyson Daniels continues to be the league’s most annoying defensive pest to deal with on the perimeter. Daniels, the main piece the Hawks received in the Dejounte Murray trade, has been everything the team wanted and more, especially on the defensive end of the floor. In the Hawks’ 129-117 NBA Cup win over the Washington Wizards on Friday night, Daniels’ incredible ability to rack up steals and deflections was in full display once more as he added six more thefts to his tally on the season.
In so doing, Daniels joined an exclusive club that only the player many believe is the greatest of all time, Michael Jordan, belongs in. According to the official Hawks account on X (formerly Twitter), Daniels now has the longest streak with at least 15 points and five steals (four games) since Jordan did in 1987.
In a four-game stretch from February 16 to February 24, 1987, Jordan averaged 5.8 steals per game — which is simply phenomenal especially considering how big of an offensive workload he was taking on a nightly basis. During that same stretch, Jordan averaged 38.3 points per game as well, which speaks volumes to how elite of a two-way star the Chicago Bulls legend was during his heyday.
Daniels, of course, is not anywhere close to being the scorer Jordan is. But no one expects the Hawks guard to average 30+ like Jordan did. In fact, his emergence into someone who can score 15 or more on a nightly basis wasn’t entirely expected after looking very raw on the offensive side of the ball to begin his career.
Just to add to the historic stretch that Daniels is in at the moment, he became just the second player in NBA history to record at least six steals in four consecutive games — with Alvin Robertson holding the record for the longest such streak (six games).
The Hawks really got themselves a steal (pun intended) in the Murray trade, as Daniels looks like one of the best two-way guards in the league — and he’s only 21 years of age to boot.
Dyson Daniels is stealing wins for the Hawks
Related Atlanta Hawks NewsArticle continues below
The Hawks may have a 6-7 record even after their win over the Wizards, but they look like a much-improved team compared to last season — thanks in large part to Dyson Daniels’ emergence as an elite defender. His ability to rack up steals is head-turning; Daniels has racked up more steals over his past five games (28) than any other NBA player have this season, per John Hollinger of ESPN.
Daniels has always shown his potential to be one of the best defensive disruptors in the association. He has incredible size, length, and instincts, and all he needed was an opportunity to showcase how good he can be. But it’s the fact that his offense has come a long way that will put a smile to the Hawks’ faces.
The Hawks’ opponents simply have to be careful when passing the ball or when dribbling near Daniels. He will take the ball — and steal victory for Atlanta in the process.
Source link