Dyson Daniels is in the middle of a confidence crisis - and it’s hard to miss.
Just a season ago, the Australian guard looked like one of the NBA’s brightest young risers. He’d just bagged the league’s Most Improved Player award and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. His two-way potential was turning heads, and with a nine-figure contract looming on the horizon, Daniels had the look of a franchise cornerstone in the making.
Fast forward to his second season in Atlanta, and the vibe has shifted - dramatically.
Daniels is struggling, particularly from beyond the arc, where he’s shooting a jaw-dropping 10.9%. That’s not just a cold spell - that’s a full-on freeze.
And it’s not just the numbers. The eye test tells the same story.
There are moments when he catches the ball at the top of the key with space to shoot - the kind of look he would’ve let fly last season - and he hesitates. The shot doesn’t come.
The confidence isn’t there.
And in the NBA, confidence is everything.
Fred Katz recently shared a story about Larry Nance Jr., Daniels’ former teammate, who spoke about him like a proud older brother. Nance had watched Daniels grow, especially in terms of confidence. That version of Daniels - assertive, aggressive, unafraid - feels like a distant memory right now.
To understand what’s happening with Daniels, it helps to look at another player who’s been through something similar: Gordon Hayward. After suffering a devastating injury just minutes into his Boston Celtics debut in 2017, Hayward spent years trying to get back to the player he once was.
Physically, the recovery was grueling. But mentally?
That was the real mountain to climb.
Hayward later admitted that self-doubt played a massive role in his decline. On Paul George’s Podcast P, he talked about the loneliness of the rehab process, but also the mental toll once he returned.
He knew he wasn’t the same player, and that realization led to hesitation - something no NBA player can afford. “Once doubt creeps in at all,” Hayward said, “at this level it’s really hard for you.”
Daniels hasn’t suffered a traumatic injury like Hayward, but the mental battle is similar. The doubt is visible - in his body language, in his shot selection, in his sudden reluctance to do what came naturally just months ago.
His three-point attempts are down more than 50% from last season. That’s not just a slump - that’s a player second-guessing himself in real time.
And the Hawks feel it too. Daniels was supposed to be a core piece in Atlanta’s rebuild - a defensive anchor with a growing offensive game.
Right now, that growth has stalled. The tools are still there.
The defense still flashes. But until he rediscovers that inner belief, the version of Daniels we saw last season won’t be walking through that tunnel.
What’s the fix? There’s no one-size-fits-all solution here.
Maybe it’s a hot streak that reignites the spark. Maybe it’s a stretch of winning basketball that puts wind back in his sails.
Maybe it’s time - and patience. Whatever the path, it starts with Daniels believing in himself again.
And in the meantime, the Hawks need to rally around him. Because this isn’t just about stats or shooting percentages.
It’s about a young player trying to find his footing again. And if he does, the Hawks - and their fans - will be the ones who benefit most.