ATLANTA – The Atlanta Hawks were able to improve to 2-0 in the group stage play for the NBA Cup on Friday night, defeating the Washington Wizards 129-117. As the case has been for the past few games, Dyson Daniels has been playing some of the best basketball in the league on defense, and he continued his strong play against the Wizards, finishing with 25 points, four rebounds, three assists, and six steals.
Daniels continues to rack up the steals on the season, and he now has the longest streak of 15+ points and five-plus steals since Michael Jordan. After the game, Trae Young couldn’t help but give Daniels a huge endorsement for his defensive skills.
“I see First-Team All-Defense as many years as he wants to,” Young said. “You can see what he’s able to do now, he has the opportunity to play a lot. Offensively, it’s not forced on him. He just allows the game to come to him, and that’s what makes it easier for everybody. I can shoot not really good at all, and he can still go out there and play really well. He’s letting the game come to him. He’s playing off of us offensively and defensively we’re playing off of him. That’s what we love from him and we’re going to need him to keep doing it.”
Every night, Daniels goes out and defends the opposing team’s best player, and gives them trouble for as long as he’s on the court. Not only is he making plays on defense, but his offensive game has opened up as well over the past few games.
“The more steals I get the more I’m out in transition,” Daniels said. “That’s how most of my points are coming is breaking the paint, getting in transition, and getting to the rim. Just playing free, being myself, making plays on the defensive end. On the offensive side, guys like Trae and [Jalen] are finding me on cuts and getting downhill.
Daniels is becoming a true two-way player with the way he’s performed this season, and as the season goes on, the Hawks will be leaning on him to continue his strong play on defense.
Dyson Daniels is making his teammates better with his play
Head coach Quin Snyder says that Dyson Daniels continues to show commitment on defense with not only his individual matchup but what he does off the ball, and it’s rubbing off on his teammates as well.
Related Atlanta Hawks NewsArticle continues below
“I think when you’re out there on the floor with him, it can’t help but raise your level as well,” Snyder said. “It’s something we’ve worked on. [Jalen Johnson] has gotten better defensively. He’s the one that I’ve been pushing hard, and he wants that. I think some of that too is, JJ [says] “This is a way that I can get better.] So Dyson’s impact, he impacts in a lot of different ways. He impacts his teammates. He certainly impacts his matchup. He impacts off the ball as well.”
De’Andre Hunter, who returned from injury, had nothing but positive things to say about Daniels and is making his life easier on defense, as he used to be the guy on the Hawks who would take the assignment of guarding the opposing team’s best player.
“One of the best defenders I’ve seen,” Hunter said. “He had like what… six or seven steals today? I don’t even have to look. He’s amazing. He guards the lead guard on the other team and usually takes them out of the game. It makes it a lot easier for myself and definitely for everyone else on the team.”
With the Hawks starting to get healthy, and players continuing to play at high levels, things could be looking up for them soon.
Source link