The Hawks’ four-game win streak came with plenty of offense attached, but the night also offered a cleaner look at why Dyson Daniels keeps forcing a bigger conversation in Atlanta.
In the 124-121 comeback win over the Brooklyn Nets, Jalen Johnson led the way with 30 points, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Aaron Wiggins chipped in 20 apiece. Atlanta erased a deficit that reached 17 points, and Daniels was in the middle of the swing even without a loud scoring line. He finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, six steals and one block, a stat sheet that says far more than points alone ever could.
That broader impact is exactly why the scoring-only critique falls short. Daniels is affecting possessions in multiple ways at once: taking away the ball, cleaning up the glass, moving the offense forward and still giving Atlanta something as a scorer. Against Brooklyn, that showed up in the extra chances the Hawks created through his defensive pressure and activity around the rim.
His milestone only sharpens the point. Brett Siegel of Clutch Points reported that Daniels became the first player since Scottie Pippen in 1994 to record at least 100 points, 75 rebounds, 50 assists and 30 steals through the first 11 games of a season. Daniels has 108 points, 79 rebounds, 60 assists and 32 steals.
Those numbers matter because they map out a player doing four jobs at once. He’s not just piling up steals. He’s rebounding, setting up teammates and helping keep the offense moving while still scoring enough to matter.
The shooting concerns, though, are real. Opponents can sag off him and crowd Atlanta’s spacing, and a better jumper would make him a more dangerous offensive piece.
But that weakness does not erase everything else he brings. A stop on defense can become a transition chance.
A smart pass can turn into a clean look. An offensive rebound can reset a possession that looked dead a second earlier.
The early-season numbers back that up, too. According to a Databallr snapshot, Atlanta has posted a plus-8.3 net rating with Daniels on the floor and minus-6.5 without him. That kind of split doesn’t prove one player is doing everything by himself, especially in a small sample, but it does demand attention.
Daniels’ pressure on ball handlers and his work in passing lanes also fits alongside Lu Dort and Alexander-Walker. Add in the rebounding and passing, and Johnson gets to attack without having to create every single thing on his own.
That’s where Daniels’ value really shows up. When Atlanta’s offense stalls, he can still keep the Hawks afloat with defense, effort and all the little possessions that don’t always show up in a simple scoring debate.
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Quin Snyder has already had to manage the tradeoff that comes with that kind of lineup construction, and the numbers have offered a reminder that progress can still come with rough edges. Atlantas start feels real, but the frontcourt questions have not disappeared, and the way Snyder balances development, spacing and consistency over the next few games will go a long way toward showing how high this version of the Hawks can climb. [Read more 🡒]