Dyson Daniels is starting to settle into his new role-and it’s been a quietly impressive evolution. No, he wasn’t struggling to start the season, but after a breakout campaign last year, expectations were sky-high.
And when Trae Young went down with a right MCL injury, the spotlight shifted squarely onto Daniels. Suddenly, he wasn’t just part of the offensive flow-he was the flow.
While he's officially listed as a shooting guard, Daniels has spent most of his minutes this season running the point. That’s a big shift, especially in a league where lead guards are expected to create, facilitate, and often carry the scoring load. And while Daniels hasn’t exactly lit it up from the field, he’s found other ways to leave his mark.
That’s the thing with Daniels-he’s a high-IQ player who affects winning in ways that don’t always show up on the scoreboard. Whether it’s setting up teammates, locking down perimeter threats, or battling on the boards, he’s constantly finding ways to tilt the game in Atlanta’s favor.
Lately, it’s been his rebounding that’s turned heads. At 6'7", Daniels has the size to mix it up with bigs, but it’s his timing and toughness that have really stood out.
Over the last two games, he’s pulled down 10 rebounds in each-against frontcourts that aren’t exactly soft. These weren’t empty stats either; they came against physical, vertically gifted teams that pride themselves on controlling the glass.
Sunday night’s matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers was the perfect example. With Joel Embiid and Andre Drummond patrolling the paint, most guards would be content to stay out of the fray.
Daniels? He leaned in, attacked the boards, and came away with another double-digit rebounding effort.
After the game, Daniels spoke about the team’s renewed focus on rebounding and how it’s become a point of emphasis in the locker room.
"That's a big emphasis for us, you know, rebounding, crashing and getting hits," Daniels said. "We've been dominated on that end of the floor, the rebounding stuff, basically the whole year."
He pointed to a recent matchup with Detroit as a turning point-a game where the Hawks felt like they got outworked physically. That experience sparked a mindset shift.
"Coming off that game against Detroit, you know, we felt like we got pushed around a little bit. We wanted to come out and be the aggressors, be physical, get hits, rebound the ball," he added.
"I think teams decide to really crash against us. We know that if we’re going to be a good defensive rebounding team, we’ve got to be physical, you know, hit some guys.”
That quote tells you a lot about Daniels-not just his basketball IQ, but his willingness to adapt and lead. He’s not just talking about effort; he’s talking about identity. For a young guard to embrace the dirty work, especially when his shot isn’t falling, says something about his approach to the game.
Daniels isn’t just filling in for Trae Young-he’s carving out a new version of himself. A versatile, do-it-all guard who can initiate the offense, defend multiple positions, and now, crash the glass like a forward. That kind of adaptability forces defenses to stay honest, and it gives the Hawks a new dimension, especially while they wait for their star point guard to return.
In a season where Atlanta has had to retool on the fly, Dyson Daniels is proving to be more than just a stopgap-he’s becoming the glue. And if this stretch is any indication, his game is only going to keep expanding.