Daniels, still just aged 22, set such a high bar in his opening season that it begs the question: how will he follow it up in year 2? When speaking to Inside the NBA<\/a> following the announcement that he had won Most Improved Player award, Daniels detailed lofty ambitions he wishes to achieve going forward, believing that such was the level he believed he could still grow that he could win the award again.<\/p>\n \u201cI really believe I could believe this award twice because I know I\u2019ve got so much more left in me to show in this league and so much more improvement,\u201d said Daniels. \u201cIt\u2019s going to be about taking that next step next year and setting new goals. I want to be a championship player. I set the bar high to go out there and execute that now.\u201d<\/p>\n So, what has Daniels worked on across the summer to make this leap? Firstly, Daniels noted that this one of the first undisrupted summers since joining the NBA, allowing him more time to work on his game. Offensively, Daniels says he has added to his overall offensive game in order to be able to generate offense from differing positions and situations, particularly in the mid-range.<\/p>\n \u201cThis summer was really fun for me because in my first two summers I had a World Cup and Olympics, so I didn\u2019t really get time off just to work on my game,\u201d said Daniels of his summer during the Hawks\u2019 media day<\/a>. \u201cThis summer I was able to work with my trainer and work on my game. I was able to make improvements in a lot of areas of my game. I worked a lot on my mid-range game, being able to get to spots, different pickups, different footwork getting into shots \u2014 trying to develop that offensive bag. That\u2019s been the main focus this summer. Defense is always going to be my backbone, that\u2019s got me to where I am today.\u201d<\/p>\n The mid-range was not an area that Daniels took a lot of shots in last season, as this chart below outlines:<\/p>\n I think it\u2019s likely Daniels may have referred to making plays from the mid-range, perhaps on catch situations to pivot his way to get to the rim or make plays for others. I\u2019d be a little surprised, especially in Quin Snyder\u2019s system, if the progression was to step into more mid-range jumpers off of pick-and-roll. Let\u2019s see.<\/p>\n As he alluded to, Daniels was true to his defensive identity and continued to work on this aspect on his game throughout the summer. Daniels spent a lot of time watching film and trying to improve his defense from a team defense perspective, in addition to his desire to be more of a vocal leader on defense and hold his teammates defensively accountable.<\/p>\n \u201cI watched a lot of film,\u201d said Daniels when asked about what defensive improvements he can make. \u201cSomething I\u2019ve focused on is, \u2018Where can we better team defensively, where can I help the team more?\u2019 I can go out there and get steals and make plays like that, but when it comes down to getting a stop, we need to be in the right positions for each other, have each other\u2019s back and rotate for each other. For me, I\u2019m trying to see points where I can be better at help defense. Where should I rotate from? Should I not rotate there? Where can I hold my teammates accountable to rotate from? I want to be a leader on that end of the floor and be more vocal and tell people, \u2018Hey, we\u2019re not rotating from here, we need to come here, you need to fly around, you need to close out short here.\u2018 Just little things, on-ball defense, trying to fight through screens better, keep my matchup.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a good defensive group with \u2018KP\u2019 coming this year that can protect the rim. We\u2019re going to change a few things on that end of the floor because we need to be a better team defensively, but it starts with having a leader on that end of the floor and being able to hold each other accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite averaging three steals a game and establishing himself as one of the NBA\u2019s best perimeter defenders, Daniels believes there is still more growth to be had on the defensive end of the floor, centering in on his ability to read the game defensively and make quick decisions \u2014 those which are required when drawing charges.<\/p>\n \u201cI still think I have so much more improvement on that end of the floor,\u201d said Daniels. \u201cI think I have the tools to do it all. The game moves fast and you\u2019ve got to make quick decisions out there. In a half a second you have to choose whether you\u2019re going up to contest or step in and take a charge \u2014 that\u2019s something I want to do more of. There\u2019s people who are elite at drawing fouls these last couple of years, I think one of my strengths is keeping people off the free throw line, not fouling people and contesting shots without fouling. Something I want to do better is draw more offensive calls, whether it\u2019s taking a charge \u2026 still so much more improvement I have in me. It\u2019s all about making quick decisions out there and making right decisions. I\u2019m looking forward to the game slowing down more this season.\u201d<\/p>\n A lot of pressure was put on Daniels last season. Being the Hawks\u2019 strongest perimeter defender \u2014 very comfortably so following the season-ending injury to Jalen Johnson \u2014 Daniels had to not just absorb the pressure as the point of attack defender and but guard the opposing team\u2019s best perimeter player. This expenditure of energy could be argued contributed to some, not too often, inefficient nights shooting the ball at times. It\u2019s also just a lot of pressure to put on Daniels defensively: if he was beat, then the Hawks\u2019 backline is called upon, potentially leading to a collapse in the defense.<\/p>\n Now, things are different. Not only is Johnson returning fully fit, but Daniels has another defensive-minded wing that can help share some of the defensive pressure and responsibility in Nickeil Alexander-Walker.<\/p>\n \u201cSpeaking specifically to some of our new guys, Nickeil gives us another player that\u2019s capable of defending the point of attack, which is really important\u2026\u201d said Hawks head coach Quin Snyder at media da<\/a>y.<\/p>\n The defensive potential of this new partnership was one that was referenced often during the Hawks\u2019 media by multiple personnel, including Hawks GM Onsi Saleh, who spoke on the Friday prior to media day about the tantalising prospect of the two defensively.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re super excited about him (Alexander-Walker), and pairing him with Dyson at times,\u201d said Saleh<\/a>. \u201cI think that\u2019s going to be hell for some teams with those two guys out there, and \u2018KP\u2019 back there as well.\u201d<\/p>\n Saleh spoke of the importance that defense is to championship contending teams, believing that the defensive additions that will undoubtedly bolster the Hawks\u2019 defensive ranks alongside Johnson and Daniels certainly takes them a potential step closer to such an outcome.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to be good defensively to be a contending team in this league,\u201d said Saleh. \u201cI don\u2019t know how many teams have contended without being in the top-10 in the league in the last few years. We feel we\u2019ve got a good group of dudes, and they\u2019re going to get better at that too. Team defensively is a whole other concept \u2026 but individually we added a lot there in the size and athleticism in defense on the ball and off the ball to get us there.\u201d<\/p>\n Having two elite defenders like Alexander-Walker and Daniels opens up many defensive possibilities for the Hawks, with Daniels himself just scratching the surface of what might be possible.<\/p>\n \u201c\u2026With Nickeil, we can switch things and pick up full-court and make things difficult,\u201d said Daniels.<\/p>\n Alexander-Walker himself was strong in his conviction when asked if Daniels could push him to be a better defensive player.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/FGA-for-Dyson-Daniels-during-the-2024-25-Regular-Season-1.png\"\/)
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