Why Atlanta Hawks Fans Should Be Excited About How Dyson Daniels is Playing For Team Australia

The 2024 Summer Olympics are set to begin soon and while the Atlanta Hawks do not have a player suiting up for Team USA this Summer, they do have two players playing for other nations. Bogdan Bogdanovic is playing for Serbia and the recently acquired Dyson Daniels is playing for Australia. While Hawks fans know how good Bogdanovic is, they are starting to see what Bogdanovic might be able to bring to the team this upcoming season and that should have them very excited.

Daniels was the best player that the Hawks got back from New Orleans in the Dejounte Murray trade and has been lauded for his defensive ability. Hawks GM Landry Fields talked to the media after the Murray trade and said that Daniels defensive skills were one of the things they were intrigued by when they got him in the trade:

“His defensive versatility is something that really stands out. 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.”

So far during the Olympic exhibition games, Daniels is showing why he might be a critical part of the Hawks future. While Daniels is already an elite defender, his ability to be a consistent shooter has come into question. This summer, Daniels has been a good three-point shooter while not losing a step on defense.

During the exhibition games for Team Australia, Daniels has averaged 10 PPG, 2.8 RPG, and 3.2 APG, as well as three steals per game. He is shooting 49% from the field and 40% from three and if those numbers hold up, the Hawks have to be ecstatic about what Daniels could bring to the team this season. Daniels just had his best game when Australia faced France, as he scored 14 points on 6-9 shooting from the floor and 2-4 from three. He also had five steals and five assists.

Now, Daniels has to prove that he can do this at the NBA level next season, but there is enough evidence out there that he can. I think that Daniels and his skill set is a perfect fit next to Trae Young and the Hawks should explore starting him next to their starting point guard. Young has never had an elite perimeter defender like Daniels by his side and as long as Daniels can shoot at this level and stay on the floor, the Hawks defense can go from abysmal to much better.

A looming question ahead of next season will be whether the Hawks start Daniels alongside Young or bring him off the bench. An argument could be made for either Zaccharie Risacher or Bogdan Bogadanovic to start next to Trae at the two-guard spot, but Daniels would bring the best defense. Bogdanovic was tremendous off the bench last season and should remain in that role in my opinion while Risacher could start next to Daniels and Young.

Daniels saw action in 61 games (16 starts) during the 2023-24 season, posting career highs of 5.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.4 steals in 22.3 minutes. He scored 10-or-more points in a career-best 13 games during the 2023-24 campaign, netting a career-high 17 points against the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 12.

A 2024 Panini Rising Star, Daniels recorded 1.4 steals per game during the 2023-24 campaign, the 10th-most in the NBA, and owned a .341 steal percentage last season, ranking fifth in the league (min. 50 GP). He recorded a career-high six steals at Utah on Nov. 25, becoming the only second-year player to swipe at least six steals in a single game this past season and one of only two first-or-second year players to do so, joining Victor Wembanyama. He recorded all six steals in the first half, tied for the most steals in a single half in the NBA this past season and tied for the second-most steals in a single half in New Orleans history.

Selected eighth overall in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Pelicans, the 6-7 guard owns career averages of 4.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 steals and 20.0 minutes in 120 games (27 starts). Prior to the Pelicans, he spent the 2021-22 season with the NBA G League Ignite, where he was named to the 2022 Clorox Rising Stars roster.

Acquiring Daniels has gone under the radar around the league, but it could end up making a huge difference for the Atlanta Hawks.