Much of the headlines surrounding Dyson Daniels this season have been his historically bad three-point shooting. Daniels is shooting just 12.7% from beyond the arc—by far the lowest percentage in the NBA.
Despite the tough shooting season, he has still found a way to be a very impactful player.
Last season, Daniels caught attention for his incredible steal numbers. He led the league in that category (3.0 steals per game) and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting for his efforts.
Not only did he nearly win Defensive Player of the Year, but he also won the Most Improved Player award after finding success in a new role with the Atlanta Hawks. As a result, the Hawks rewarded Daniels with a four-year, $100 million extension that takes effect in the 2026-2027 season.
This season, Daniels hasn’t been talked about in the same positive spotlight. While the media will continue to highlight his three-point shooting, they are failing to recognize the value he still brings to the Hawks nightly.
Daniels is the Ultimate Game Wrecker
Wednesday night’s win over the Boston Celtics was a great team effort by the Hawks. Atlanta won the game on the road, 117-106, in large part due to a phenomenal defensive effort in the first quarter. Daniels, in particular, was a +14 in the box score during the first period. His five steals were a season-high for him as the Hawks cruised to a victory in Boston.
After the game, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla admitted his team had a bad night. Forward Sam Hauser credits Daniels for his defensive effort.
“Daniels is a game-wrecker…Just him alone changed the game,” he said.
One game won’t tell you everything about a player’s impact. In the case of Daniels, he hasn’t put up the same numbers on paper, but he is still a strong defender. According to Databallr, Daniels has a +7.2 NET rating this season, proving the significant effect he brings.
The impact could not be better exemplified than by the difference between the two games Atlanta played against Boston this season.
The first time around, the Celtics embarrassed the Hawks on the offensive end of the floor. They scored 52 points in the second quarter en route to a blowout 132-106 win. That night, the Hawks badly missed Daniels as they allowed Boston to shoot 42% from three (22/52).
Filling the box score
In the absence of Trae Young this season, Daniels has taken control of the primary ball-handling duties for the Hawks’ offense.
He is second on the team in assists behind Jalen Johnson as Atlanta looks to break the NBA record for assists per game by a team in a season. Currently, the Hawks average 30.7 assists per game, which ranks sixth all-time in a season. Daniels is undoubtedly a big reason for that, as his passing and playmaking have helped the Hawks’ offense.
Not only is Daniels second on the Hawks in assists per game, but he is third among guards in rebounds per game as well. The one area Atlanta has struggled in is rebounding, but Daniels has done a great job in that department. His 6.6 rebounds per game rank third on the team behind Johnson (10.5) and Onyeka Okongwu (7.9).
Given the circumstances, it’s shocking that Daniels only has one triple-double this season (versus the Denver Nuggets). He has flirted with one on multiple occasions, but only has one to show for it.
Despite only shooting 12.7% from three and 61.9% from the free-throw line, Daniels is fifth among guards in field goal percentage (49.9%). How could this be? He is adept at scoring at the rim. On the season, Daniels takes 79.6% of his shots between 0-10 feet from the basket. On those attempts, he shoots 56.5% from the field.
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Confidence Not Wavering
Back in December, Hawks head coach Quin Snyder was asked about Daniels’ shooting struggles.
“The important thing is that we want him to keep shooting,” he said.
On average, Daniels takes 1.5 three-point attempts per game. While he is struggling to make his attempts, it’s not like he shoots a ton of threes in the first place. Of course, he wants to be a more capable three-point shooter, but Daniels knows his game and how he fits the Hawks’ offense.
Interestingly, last season, Daniels had a career-high three-point percentage (34.0%) on 3.1 attempts per game. He has proven in the past to be a capable three-point shooter; it’s a matter of having the confidence to keep trying.
Even if he doesn’t get back into his shooting rhythm, Dyson Daniels has proven he can positively affect the game in many other ways.
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