1 month ago
The alleged “Great Barrier Thief” will beryllium unleashed connected to 1 of basketball’s astir storied stages this weekend, arsenic Australian Dyson Daniels storms into an NBA playoff conflict against Jalen Brunson and nan New York Knicks astatine Madison Square Garden.
The Atlanta defender has, for illustration his team, endured a mixed season. But some person vanished powerfully to make nan Hawks a acheronian equine arsenic nan sixth-seed successful an Eastern Conference bracket considered wide open.
Daniels had a sensation of nan playoffs 2 years agone pinch New Orleans, but enters nan 2026 post-season arsenic a cardinal protagonist successful 1 of nan first round’s marquee match-ups.
“It’s going to beryllium fun, it’s going beryllium a lot, nan Garden’s going to beryllium popping,” he says. “But these kinds of opportunities you unrecorded for and you dream for, and nan only measurement to hole for it, really, is to conscionable spot your work, spot yourself.”
The Hawks person played into shape since trading All-Star defender Trae Young successful January, led by guardant Jalen Johnson and off-season acquisition Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Yet possibly nary subordinate connected nan roster has nan imaginable to move a playoff bid for illustration Daniels, aft his prominence successful nan team’s 28-win, 15-loss tally to adjacent nan season.
The exclamation constituent was a triple double – nan 2nd of his profession – successful a triumph against nan formidable Cavaliers a week ago. “There was a constituent successful nan play wherever we were struggling a small bit, we were losing games, but we ever believed successful each other, we trusted nan coaches,” Daniels says.
“We played nan aforesaid measurement nan full year, conscionable erstwhile we started to gel and nan chemistry started to travel together, it really started clicking, and guys figured retired their roles much and were capable to flip nan book and get wins going.”
The Australian received nan NBA’s astir improved subordinate award past play acknowledgment to his tin offence and relentless defence, but his publication has since evolved.
Daniels is still nan superior defender connected nan opposition’s constituent of onslaught astir nights, but nan summation of nan rangy Alexander-Walker has tempered his protect workload. Though he is still 2nd successful nan convention for steals, his complaint has dropped from 3 per crippled to an mean of two.
Daniels’ three-point shooting accuracy has besides sagged from past year’s mean 34%, to 19% this year. Two months ago, he had much air-balls than makes from extracurricular nan arc.
Those earthy numbers belie his dependable all-round development, however. He has go a lethal modulation player, acknowledgment to his speed, rebounding and wrong finishing, and his half-court smarts springiness nan Hawks a travel they different lack. His two-point section extremity percent is 58% – higher than snipers specified arsenic Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard – acknowledgment to a ample measurement of finishes astatine nan rim.
Daniels whitethorn not person nan touch of nan league’s finesse shooters, but he has recovered a measurement to lend connected offence to complement his protect strengths. Measuring nan Australian’s publication by his effect connected nan scoreboard erstwhile he is connected nan level compared to erstwhile he is disconnected it, he – alongside seasoned defender CJ McCollum – is nan Hawks’ astir important player, according to precocious stats tract Cleaning nan Glass.
The New York Post recognised Daniels’ power this week erstwhile covering nan situation he will airs for nan Knicks’ level wide and starring scorer, Brunson, describing him arsenic a “defensive stopper”. No subordinate has guarded Brunson much successful nan past 2 seasons than Daniels.
“He’s a awesome defender,” Brunson says. “He’s very smart and he’s capable to usage his wingspan and create havoc connected and disconnected nan ball. He does a batch of awesome things for their squad and puts them successful position to beryllium successful.”
Daniels’ Boomers teammate astatine nan Hawks, centre Jock Landale, is group to miss nan first information bid pinch an ankle injury. Josh Giddey’s Chicago Bulls missed nan post-season, and Josh Green is only playing mini minutes for nan suddenly-hot Chicago Hornets, a business akin for Matisse Thybulle successful Portland. Other Australians are connected playoff teams, for illustration Joe Ingles successful Minnesota, and Tyrese Proctor successful Cleveland, but look to beryllium extracurricular nan playoff rotation.
It leaves nan Bendigo-born guard arsenic nan main Australian attraction successful nan post-season. Daniels’ begetter Ricky, relative Dash – who played successful nan NBL past play – and extended family will beryllium location successful New York, alongside a beardown expat contingent successful nan Big Apple. “Hopefully I don’t get excessively galore requests successful New York for tickets,” Daniels joked. “But yeah, this is simply a nosy clip of nan year.”
