Dyson Daniels doesn’t sound like a player worried about losing ground with Atlanta’s new-look defense. If anything, he sounds like a guy who sees the Hawks’ offseason additions as a force multiplier.
Daniels was already the centerpiece of what Atlanta wanted to be on that end. In his first season with the Hawks, the 2024-25 campaign, he won Most Improved Player and had a real case for Defensive Player of the Year.
That kind of breakout made it clear he could carry a defense on his own. But the Hawks didn’t stop there.
This summer, Atlanta added more defensive help around him, bringing in players who fit the same mold and can make life harder for opposing offenses. Daniels says that only changes the math for everyone else.
"I wouldn't say there's pressure to be the best defender, or whatever, that's just what my natural game is," Daniels said at media day. "It's what got me to the NBA, it's what I built my game on."
That’s the key to understanding where Atlanta is headed. Daniels isn’t treating the deeper defensive roster like a reduction in his role. He sees it as a way to make the entire group tougher to attack, especially in a league built on hunting matchups and forcing switches.
"He continued, "Having multiple guys come in that can defend, it just makes it tougher on everyone. A lot of the NBA nowadays is trying to create switches and go at advantages in different matchups, and when you've got guys that can defend out there, it's a lot harder to do that.""
The Hawks’ young core is already mature beyond its years, and the veterans brought in this summer only add to that feeling of a group that knows what it wants to be. Daniels believes the fit can push Atlanta somewhere bigger.
Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins, two of Oklahoma City’s best defenders during the Thunder’s 2025 championship run, are now part of that mix in Atlanta. So are Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dorian Finney-Smith and Zuby Ejiofor.
The result, Daniels says, is a group that should be capable of making real noise if it comes together the way it’s supposed to.
"We've got a really good defensive group. We've just got to go out there and show it."
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Quin Snyder Just Framed The Hawks Question That Will Define This Season
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The challenge, as Snyder framed it, is turning that theory into a nightly habit. Atlanta still has to sort through which lineups can sustain the balance it wants, and the real test will be whether the Hawks can keep their execution sharp enough to make that two-way style hold up for more than short bursts. That part is easy to describe in October. It gets a lot harder once the games start asking for the same answer over and over again. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks May Regret Letting Ryan Nembhard Find A Better Opening
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For Denver, the appeal is obvious. With an aging core and the possibility that injuries could reshape the guard rotation, Nembhard has a chance to matter as bench depth and a source of offense if he earns trust in the rotation. For Atlanta, it is the kind of move that can linger if a player finds a better opening somewhere else, especially when the new team has a more immediate need for what he brings. [Read more 🡒]
Onyeka Okongwu Deadline Could Expose Hawks' Real Center Plan
Onyeka Okongwus next contract talk has become one of the cleaner windows into how the Hawks see their frontcourt. He is eligible for an extension that could run through three years and reach $76.6 million, and the team has until October 19 to work out a deal. Even without a final answer, the timing alone makes this a meaningful marker for Atlanta as it sorts out where Okongwu fits in the long term.
The bigger question is what the deadline says about the center spot overall. If the Hawks move forward with Okongwu, that would reinforce his place in the teams plans. If they do not, the uncertainty only adds weight to recent chatter about Atlantas interest in Jalen Duren and suggests the Hawks may be keeping their options open rather than locking in a single answer. [Read more 🡒]