Dyson Daniels is growing quite well following a difficult start to the season.
In his second NBA season, Dyson Daniels is in the midst of taking the proverbial leap. Most haven’t acknowledged it yet, but coaches and teammates have.
In a postgame interview last week, after the New Orleans Pelicans suffered their fourth straight loss to the Houston Rockets, Brandon Ingram casually and unpromptedly mentioned Daniels.
“We’ll work things out. Although we will attack and look for offensive mismatches, the positive thing about tonight is that Dyson Daniels improved in handling the offense, getting to the rim, and making the correct reads.
It’s not surprising given Jordan Hawkins’ outstanding debut, the dramatic comebacks from injuries of Herb Jones and Naji Marshall, and other Pelicans narratives that have been consuming the news lately.
After the unfavorable offensive outcomes of his rookie campaign, it was simple to start really doubting Daniels’ stock. Where were the signs of development?
Even while his defensive efforts have always been excellent, he was still making no offensive contributions. Then, though, something amazing occurred. His performances started to improve as his confidence grew.
Daniels has made all eight of his tries at free throws and has not missed one since the Pelicans defeated the Detroit Pistons. Out of 22 attempts, he has made 10 3-pointers.
In other words, his game is developing gracefully, much like a good wine, and his statistics every 36 minutes provide ample evidence of this.
“Dyson’s performance is improving steadily,” Green remarked following practice on Thursday. “You can all see the improvement he’s made from the previous season to this one.
He’s always played excellent defense and has gotten even better at rebounding the ball, but I believe he’s developing as an offensive player. He is aware of his ability to assault the basket. He can move up to complete. He’s also taking open shots.
The 3-point shot is becoming more consistent in its delivery. Over the past seven games, Daniels has made 50% of his catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts.
That matters because Zion Williamson and Ingram attract a lot of attention when they go on drives. Money has also been his floater.
According to Daniels, a modification in his regimen has improved his shooting abilities.
After Sunday’s defeat, Daniels remarked, “Instead of getting my shots up in the practice facility, I’ve been getting them up {inside the Smoothie King Center}.”
For me, it feels superior in terms of feel, depth perception, and other things. It’s been fun for me.
I’ll keep working on the shots that have been going in the last few games. Being able to make shots when BI and Z’s gravity pulls me in is something I have to do.
It goes without saying that no conversation would be complete without praising Daniels for everything he does on the court.
Against the Dallas Mavericks a few days prior, he and Herb Jones established the tone.
Kyrie Irving (17) and Luka Doncic (16) were both held to season lows in points. The Pelicans recorded season highs in both fast break points (46) and points off turnovers (31).
Following Tuesday’s triumph, Williamson stated, “It started with Dyson.” “I understand that everyone has their own viewpoint, but Dyson was truly getting into Luka when he was pressing up the entire court in that way.
Not only was he pressing up, though, since it’s difficult to take Luka out of his game. Dyson was the first, and it spread to everyone else.
Daniels leads the league in thefts and deflections per game with an average of 1.4 and 3.0, respectively, but he provides so much more to the basketball team that helps them win.
He consistently demonstrates a genuine flair for choosing the ideal move, whether it’s something as
Daniels has also contributed significantly to playmaking and moving the ball up the court, particularly in the previous four games. Only Ingram leads the club in touches (67.8) and time of possession (4.0) since Daniels entered the starting lineup against the Minnesota Timberwolves last week.
Daniels’ ability to handle the ball has been invaluable, especially because Jose Alvarado hasn’t made an appearance yet and CJ McCollum was forced to miss time due to a minor pneumothorax in his right lung.
As a result, Ingram has been able to play more off the ball and the Pelicans have been able to explore their half-court offense more.
Herb Jones stated on Tuesday, “You always know what you’re going to get with Dyson.” “He’s going to play hard, show up, and attempt to make the right play every time. You simply can’t ask for more than that, and he delivers it every night.
What Dyson Daniels is doing at this moment is something that everyone should be closely watching.
Not only is he becoming a vital component of the team, but he is also having the best basketball season of his short career.
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