NBA preseason is underway, and in Dyson Daniels’ first Atlanta Hawks hit-out of the new season, the young Aussie picked up right where he left off last year.
Unsurprisingly, Daniels’ defense was on full display with a pair of steals and a block, but it was his efficiency and improved playmaking — six assists with just one turnover — that gave plenty of cause for optimism.
Daniels only played 12 minutes but still managed to score eight points efficiently with a full stat line, despite the Hawks going down 122-113 to the Houston Rockets.
It was an encouraging start to the new NBA season for the 22-year-old guard, coming off a career year where he contended for Defensive Player of the Year and took home the Most Improved Player award.
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Despite such a phenomenal year, there was some hesitation about how Daniels would open this season after the Atlanta Hawks overhauled their roster and contract talks had stalled.
While Daniels is locked in as a starter, he now has to contend for touches with newly acquired big man Kristaps Porzingis, who is a proven 20-point scorer after arriving from the Boston Celtics this offseason.
On top of that, rising star Jalen Johnson is healthy again after playing just 36 games last season before going down with a season-ending injury.
This is a very different Hawks team than the one we saw last year, where Daniels especially shined over the back half of the season.
It’s only a small sample size right now, but the early signs are hugely encouraging, and another breakout year for Daniels can’t be dismissed.
As good as he was last season, there was still room for improvement as a scorer, with his free-throw shooting dipping to a career-worst 59% and his three-point percentage hovering at a serviceable 34%.
His passing and ball-handling were both encouraging against Houston, and while Trae Young will still shoulder most of the playmaking, the Hawks could definitely use a reliable secondary creator to feed their scorers.
In a contract year at just 22, Daniels showed as much promise as ever in his preseason debut for the Hawks — and in his own words, he’s already said he believes he could win the Most Improved Player award again.
If he continues to shine the way he has, it would be a bold move to bet against him.