The Atlanta Hawks enter the 2024-25 NBA season with many unanswered questions regarding their opening night rotation. Unlike the past few campaigns, only two players stand out as locks in the starting five- Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. The starting shooting guard spot is up for grabs after trading Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Bogdan Bogdanović is coming off a career-high 16.9 points per game season. First-overall pick Zaccharie Risacher can impress in training camp and take the job. However, the Hawks must improve their defense to re-enter the playoff picture. Dyson Daniels, who they received in the Murray deal, fits this mold perfectly.
Defense is the Hawks’ First Priority
Atlanta’s defense ranked 27th with a 118.4 defensive rating one season ago. Murray and Young struggled to keep ballhandlers out of the paint. This forced the backline to over-help, often leading to open triples. Opponents shot a deadly 38.4% from deep against the Hawks last season. However, Daniels is a key piece in Atlanta that should help stop this trend.
At just 21 years of age, Daniels has proven to be a top perimeter defender in the association. He specializes in point-of-attack (POA) defense, keeping opposing guards in front of him and fighting over hard screens. According to the BBall Index, Daniels ranked second last season in D-LEBRON (Luck-adjusted player Estimate using a Box prior to Regularized ON-off) among POA defenders.
(AP Photo/Hakim Wright Sr.)
In the play-in game against the Chicago Bulls last April, Coby White torched the Hawks for 42 points, consistently driving middle and wreaking havoc in the paint. While White experienced a breakout campaign, opposing guards broke out against Atlanta many times. For example, Malachi Flynn dropped 50 points at State Farm Arena on April 3.
If Head Coach Quin Snyder starts Daniels at shooting guard, the third-year guard will likely take the best perimeter scorer. At 6 feet 8 inches and 199 pounds, Daniels possesses great size and height to guard multiple positions, giving the Hawks more defensive versatility. Onyeka Okongwu, Johnson, and Daniels could all switch to cover pick-and-rolls if needed, making it harder for opposing offenses to find a hole. Hawks General Manager Landry Fields knows have valuable Daniels can be.
“His defensive versatility is something that really stands out,” said Fields in a media availability after the trade.
How Can Daniels Contribute Offensively?
It is safe to say Atlanta acquired Daniels for his defense more than his offense. He averaged 5.8 points in 22.3 minutes per game and shot 31.1% from beyond the arc on 2.2 attempts last season. His struggles shooting from deep and from the charity stripe (64.2% last season) are well-documented, but he can help the Hawks in other areas that are often overlooked.
Atlanta finished sixth in the NBA in pace last season at 100.84. Daniels looks to push the ball up the court when the opportunity exists. Due to his height, he can grab rebounds from the guard position and start the break himself without having to find an outlet. His tenacious ball pressure and steals on defense can lead to easy buckets in transition.
Snyder consistently preaches making quick decisions with the basketball in a half-court setting. Daniels already possesses this skill, finishing fourth in the league in quick decision-making assists per 75 possessions. With Johnson, Young, and Daniels on the court, there will be plenty of playmaking potential.
The former eighth pick in the 2022 NBA Draft is comfortable attacking closeouts and playing off the catch. Daniels finishes well above and below the rim, but he needs to improve his three-point shot to complement his slashing ability. Currently, defenses will sag off Daniels and dare him to shoot.
Shooting is High on the Development List
Fields thinks the Hawks can improve Daniels’ shooting as his career progresses.
“His shooting has gotten better; it is something that we think can get an uptick in him as time goes on with his development. So, we are able to help him stay the course defensively and then give him some offensive adjustments there,” Fields expressed.
At the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Daniels displayed some encouraging numbers for Hawks fans. He averaged career highs in every three-point category—1.3 triples on 3.3 attempts (38.5%).
Last season, Atlanta saw several players have career years from beyond the arc. Garrison Mathews, Vít Krejčí, De’Andre Hunter, Murray, and Johnson all had career highs in three-point percentage and/or triples made per contest. Snyder emphasizes the importance of spacing and volume from deep, and the Hawks finished seventh in the association, taking 37.7 triples per game a season ago. In contrast, the Pelicans ranked 24, taking 32.6 threes in the 2023-24 campaign. Daniels will likely have more opportunities and better quality looks from deep in Atlanta than in New Orleans. The Hawks are counting on their track record for shooting development to get more offensively from their 21-year-old guard.
The Hawks were consistently in the top 10 in offensive rating last season before Young needed surgery due to a finger injury on Feb. 23. If Snyder starts Daniels next to Young, Atlanta’s offensive numbers will likely fall compared to last season; however, the defense will likely take big strides forward. Daniels can solidify the POA defense up top with a solid backline of Hunter, Johnson, and Capela/Okongwu. Atlanta could finally have the personnel to win games with their defense on a bad shooting night in the 2024-25 campaign- something they could not do for the last few seasons.
Featured Articles
Featured Writers
