Substance over Spotlight: Dyson fashions bigger role

• Dyson Daniels was the 2025 NBA Most Improved Player and a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year
• He was sent to Atlanta from New Orleans in the trade for Dejounte Murray in July, 2024
• Inside Dyson's $30m NBA contract negotiation
• Check out the latest NBA scores here

When the Atlanta Hawks traded for Dyson Daniels last season, they weren't seeking an offensive revelation.

They wanted a guard who could defend, genuinely defend, alongside All-Star point guard Trae Young. What they got was something more complicated - a player so relied upon that the burden almost became too much.

Daniels, 22, came to Atlanta as part of the Dejounte Murray trade, a young guard from Bendigo, with elite instincts on one end of the floor and questions pertaining to other areas of his game.

The Hawks were fine with that.

They already had their shot-makers. What they lacked was someone tough enough to make up for what Young lacked on the defensive end. To chase down opposing point guards night after night, someone with the length and positioning to make life difficult for the league's best scorers.

Daniels delivered exactly that.

His defensive metrics were staggering, anchoring his team with defence which turned heads across the National Basketball Association.

He finished first in steals at three per game, comfortably clear of Nikola Jokic in second at 1.8. He also led all players in deflections, averaging 5.8 a night, roughly 25% higher than Philadelphia's Kelly Oubre Jr, the next best at 4.3.

Not only that, he guarded the opposition's number one option at a rate far exceeding any of his peers. One statistic told the story: Daniels was matched up against opposing teams' best players for 2,790 possessions. The next player on that list, Denver's Christian Braun, at 2,077. He was shouldering a defensive load 20% heavier than anyone else in the league.

"That's an unreasonable burden," Hawks.com writer, Kevin Chouinard, said.

"I think he got a little bit worn down at the end of the season because they were asking so much of him."

The Hawks were asking Daniels to do things no young player should do alone, night after night, without backup. And he did it, but something got lost along the way.

Offensively, Daniels offered more than what the sceptics expected. He took shots when left open, and when he did, he made them at a respectable clip. His ball-handling was solid. But when playing without the injured Jalen Johnson - their all-purpose wing and cutting threat - Daniels had to become something more. He had to finish in transition, protect the basketball and make quick decisions in spaces where he lacked experience.

At times there was a hesitation, a deliberateness to his play which suggested a player still discovering what he was capable of.

"It's just a very limited repertoire," Chouinard said.

"But he managed it well and never really got into trouble."

Daniels did exactly what the Hawks needed him to do. He spun, he floated, he found cutters. He didn't try to be more than he was but as a team searches for the next level, that restraint has become something worth examining, especially after he won the 2025 Most Improved Player award, beating out Ivica Zubac and Cade Cunningham.

As Daniels has grown, so has the team.

One of the best off-seasons in the NBA has seen them construct a roster that, on paper, should ease Daniels' burden on both ends. They've added Kristaps Porzingis up front and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the backcourt. Suddenly, there are bodies to help him out defensively, there are options, there's breathing room.

Alexander-Walker, in particular, moves the needle. He's a volume shooter with legitimate defensive chops, a player who can take some of the defensive load off Daniels' shoulders and handle the ball with more aggression on the other end. His mere presence suggests the Hawks recognised their young guard almost suffered from burnout.

"One of the things that Nickeil Alexander-Walker represents is a relief for Dyson Daniels," Chouinard said.

"Hopefully it reduces his risk of injury and just reduces the grind."

Heading into the 2025-26 NBA season, Chouinard believes Daniels needs to become a problem-solver. When opponents put their worst defender on him, which will happen more often now, he needs to know how to attack. When being guarded by a big man, he needs to be adaptive in pick-and-roll situations. When space collapses, he needs to be a screener, a cutter and a facilitator comfortable operating in the gaps between where offence is being generated.

"It's not easy being the fifth option on offence," Chouinard said.

"You've got to make defences respect you when you're not getting that many shots. It's hard, but that's what I want to see from Dyson, make defences respect him, which is going to be jump shooting. But it's also going to be overall savvy."

There are signs this is already happening. After one practice session this preseason, Daniels was working on shooting threes without the dip, catching and releasing quickly, building a faster release. They weren't game-speed shots but they were meaningful.

As he evolves on the court, he's also growing into himself off the court. Known for his love of fashion, Daniels has created his own line, Vouseti, and is also a DJ and an avid golfer, especially when back in Melbourne. His teammates are always wearing pieces from his line and Chouinard said there's already talk of a regular fashion-off between Daniels and Alexander-Walker.

"He's definitely the most fashion-oriented," Chouinard adds, noting how Daniels carries himself away from the court.

Daniels has always been more about substance than noise, but as the Hawks search for consistency, that steadiness could be exactly what they need.

In a team that will have high expectations this season, his quiet composure might just be the anchor they need.