Dyson Daniels’ jumper has been the obvious talking point heading into the upcoming season, but the Atlanta Hawks don’t sound interested in reducing him to a three-point percentage.
That much came through clearly from President of Basketball Operations Onsi Saleh during his preseason media availability. Asked about Daniels’ shooting, Saleh pivoted to the bigger picture and called him, "Dyson is one of the most impactful players in the NBA. He impacts the game in so many different ways."
Saleh didn’t stop there. He pointed straight to Atlanta’s numbers with Daniels on the floor, saying, "When he was on the court for us we were better offensively," Saleh said. That’s a pretty direct answer to the idea that a shaky outside shot automatically turns Daniels into an offensive problem.
None of this means the shooting doesn’t matter. It absolutely does. If Daniels can become a more reliable threat from deep, defenses will have a harder time sagging off him, and Atlanta’s spacing gets cleaner in the process.
But his value has never lived in one area. Daniels can handle the ball, start offense, set up teammates and use his size to create advantages without needing to bury jumpers every night.
He also brings strong rebounding from the guard spot, and that matters on the offensive end too. When he grabs a defensive board, he can push the ball immediately and get Atlanta into transition before the defense is set.
That’s the heart of Saleh’s point. The Hawks are not pretending Daniels’ shooting issues don’t exist. They’re saying his overall offensive impact goes well beyond whether the jumper is falling.
Daniels has already built a reputation as one of the league’s top defensive players, but that’s only part of the equation. His versatility gives Quin Snyder more options when shaping lineups around Jalen Johnson, and Atlanta’s roster is built in a way that lets Daniels lean into his strengths.
The Hawks don’t need him to become a high-volume scorer. They need him to defend, rebound, facilitate and help generate extra possessions while others take on more of the scoring load.
The development still matters, of course. If Daniels becomes even an average outside shooter, that opens another layer to his game and makes him even tougher to ignore. Defenders won’t be able to give him the same cushion.
But Atlanta’s stance seems clear: that improvement is a bonus, not the measuring stick. The Hawks already believe they’re better with Daniels on the floor, and Saleh’s comments made it plain that they’re not waiting on a jumper to tell them what kind of player he is.
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Hawks Fans May Need More Patience With Henri Veesaar Than Expected
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Even before the setback, Veesaar was looking at a steep climb for minutes in a crowded frontcourt, so the Hawks were never likely to rush him into a larger role. Now the recovery timeline suggests that same kind of approach could carry into next season as well, with Atlanta likely to keep treating his development as a long game rather than a quick fix. [Read more 🡒]