Dyson Daniels: 'I showed what I could do'

• Dyson Daniels led the NBA in steals with 229, the most since Gary Payton in 1996
• Daniels is a finalist for the 2025 NBA Defensive Player of the Year
• Daniels' Atlanta Hawks were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Play-In Tournament.

Entering his first season as a full-time starter, Dyson Daniels has established himself as one of the Atlanta Hawks' cornerstone players, bringing elite defence and growing offensive capabilities to a young core that shows tremendous promise despite falling short of the playoffs.

The disappointment was evident as Daniels reflected on the Hawks' play-in tournament elimination at the hands of the Miami Heat, a bitter end to a season where Atlanta earned the eighth seed but couldn't convert their two chances to secure a playoff berth.

"It sucks because you play a whole 80-82 games to make the playoffs and give yourself a shot at that, and it comes short," Daniels said.

"Credit to Miami, they played really well, they made big shots down the stretch."

While the season didn't conclude with the desired outcome, Daniels saw valuable teaching moments for a roster still finding its identity.

"It's a lot of learning experiences for us this year. We've got a young group of guys that can really learn from it, especially these last two play-in games," he explained.

The defensive specialist noted that these experiences provide crucial lessons about "what level you need to play at to win these games and get in the playoffs."

Defensive Identity Becoming Contagious

Perhaps Daniels' most significant impact has been how his defensive mindset has influenced the entire team's approach.

Several observers have commented that his defence has become "infectious" throughout the roster — a comparison some have made to former Hawk Dikembe Mutombo in terms of defensive impact and leadership.

"I've always been a defender in my junior career and growing up," Daniels said.

"To have it rubbing off on people and guys bringing it every night on that end of the floor, whether it be switching, diving on balls, me being able to talk to my teammates in positions to help each other — I think we took a small step in the right direction this year."

His defensive philosophy extends beyond individual performance to creating a team-wide mentality.

"It starts with the aggression and assertiveness... being able to pick up full court, be aggressive at the point of attack on ball screens, climbing into guys. I really think a lot of guys made a jump this year on the defensive end."

The Ballarat-product emphasised that while offensive skills typically receive more attention, defensive fundamentals require equal dedication.

"Everyone works on their offensive game, but I think it's important for guys to work on their footwork, their lateral movement, getting in the gym, getting stronger... there are so many aspects of defence that you have to be good at to be a good defensive team."

Offensive Growth

While his defensive prowess was expected, Daniels' offensive development caught many by surprise. Given expanded opportunities with Atlanta after limited minutes in New Orleans during his first two seasons, he showcased a more complete skill set.

"On the offensive end, I showed what I could do and showed glimpses of what I can be," Daniels reflected.

"Obviously made a huge jump from my second year in New Orleans, coming here, just getting a bigger role, better opportunity, playing alongside a guy like Trey who's really good at finding me and makes my job a lot easier."

The expanded role — Daniels averaged 33 minutes per game this season after playing limited minutes with the Pelicans — created space for his development, but he views this as merely the beginning of his journey.

"I know it's just a small step in the direction I want to go. I know there's so much more development in me and so much more I can do and be better at," he said.

His summer plans focus on expanding his offensive arsenal: "Working on my game, building my bag a little bit to become a better scorer, working on my handle, working on my finishing, maybe adding in a pull-up mid-range, step back, whatever it may be."

Perhaps the most striking element of Daniels' emergence has been his mental transformation. After acknowledging he "wasn't confident" during his first two seasons in New Orleans, he credits the Hawks coaching staff for installing belief in his abilities.

"Coming from my first two years, I didn't have that confidence. I knew what I could do, but I kind of took a step back and let the stars in that team go be the stars and fell into my role there," Daniels explained.

"Coming here, the coaching staff's been huge, whether it be just telling me be aggressive, shoot the ball, play my game. I think one thing they've really done that's helped me is just let me be free, free-minded."

This mental shift represents a significant breakthrough in his development. "When people put too much pressure on you or tell you to do this, this and this, not to do this, that's when you kind of get in your own head a little bit."

Veteran teammate Larry Nance Jr., who played alongside Daniels in New Orleans before both joined the Hawks, has witnessed this transformation firsthand.

"Larry was with me for — I've been with Larry every year of my career. He's been my vet, the guy that's always talking to me," Daniels said.

"In New Orleans, I felt like he was one of the guys that really saw my potential and what I could do. Coming here, he's been so high on me and wanted me to be aggressive and make plays."

Daniels now approaches games with a completely different mindset. "Confidence is everything. If you're not confident in yourself, you're not going to be a good player, as simple as that. You've got to believe in yourself."

This mental transformation has allowed him to compete fearlessly. "That's the one thing I've really flipped the switch on this year – it doesn't matter who I'm playing on the night, it doesn't matter who we're playing, I'm going to come in and be myself playing my game. I feel like I can compete with anyone in this league on both ends of the floor."

Building Around a Young Core

Despite the disappointment of missing the playoffs, Daniels sees tremendous potential in the Hawks' young nucleus, which includes himself, Trae Young, Zaccharie Risacher, Jalen Johnson, and AJ Griffin.

"I'm excited for this team. I think we have a really good core group of guys that play well together, and I think the more experience we get playing together, we can become a good team."

Injuries disrupted the Hawks' rotation throughout the season, particularly when Johnson went down with a significant injury. "When Jalen went down, it hurt us a lot this year. We're excited to start the season off healthy and hopefully keep all our guys healthy for a full season to see where we're really at in this league."

Daniels believes chemistry is the foundation for success.

"When we were healthy, we were a good team, we were playing well. I think if guys like each other and want to play with each other, that's where it starts and you can build up from there."

The guard understands championship contention is a gradual process.

"A championship doesn't come in one or two years. It builds up over time. That's the end goal for everyone, but I think we took a step in the right direction this year."

Despite falling short of the playoffs, Daniels sees clear signs of progress.

"It's hard to say that without making the playoffs, but I know that as a team, as this core group of guys, I can see the trajectory going the right way. If we can keep this core group of guys together for a while, it's going to be good for Atlanta basketball."

The Grind of a Starter's Role

The transition from role player to starter presented new challenges for Daniels, who had to adjust to the physical demands of playing significant minutes throughout an 82-game season.

"It was a lot tougher than my first years, that's for sure, playing a lot more minutes," he acknowledged.

"I was injured a lot in my first two years as well, had a lot of ankle injuries."

Availability became a point of pride for Daniels, who appeared in 76 regular season games.

"One thing I pride myself on is being on the floor every night, trying to play where they got little banged up, a little sore knee or something like that. It's not going to be the end of the world, trying to play through it, to be out there fighting for my guys every night," he said.