Dyson Daniels begins a new chapter with the Hawks after an off-season trade for Dejounte Murray saw the third-year Australian shipped from New Orleans to Atlanta.
With Trae Young and Bogdan Bogdanovic leading the team, the Hawks were in desperate need of defensive help this season and Daniels' versatility on that side of the floor could see him make a case to start in the backcourt alongside Young.
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"I pride my game on my defense," Daniels said during the Hawks' Media Day
"I want to take the challenge of guarding the best player every night.
"Being that kind of that backbone for guys like Trae [Young], being able to switch things one through four, defend bigger people, defend smaller guards so just being everywhere on the floor."
Dyson Daniels eyes first team All-Defense
The Hawks were one of the worst teams defensively last season, ranking 27th in defensive efficiency, giving up 118.4 points per 100 possessions, with opponents connecting on 38.4 percent from the 3-point line (28th in NBA), giving up the fourth-most 3s a game at 14.0
At 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Daniels's size gives him the versatility to guard multiple positions and at 21 years old he is already an elite point of attack defender, blowing up plays with his lateral quickness and has a knack for playing the passing lanes.
With one eye on the starting job in Atlanta, Daniels told reporters at Media Day that he has his sights set on becoming one of the league's best perimeter defenders.
"I've got a big goal this year of being First Team All-Defense, so I'm going to go out there and try and make that happen," he said.
While his defensive credentials speak for themselves, Daniels still has work to do becoming a consistent 3-point shooter, connecting on just 31.1 percent of his triples last season.
He can impact the Hawks' offense off the ball in other ways as a cutter and more importantly in transition.
The Hawks ranked sixth in pace last season, with Young and Bogdanovic torching teams in transition and alongside Jalen Johnson and No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft Zacchrie Risacher, the Hawks are built to play at speed this season.
"I like playing fast, I think that's what helps me with my game," Daniels said.
"When you look at our roster, we got such athletic wings, we got Trae, obviously a really fast point guard who's willing to throw the ball ahead, we got guys who can play above the rim and we've got shooters, so if we play fast and we keep the ball moving around then we're going to be hard to stop."
