1 thing stopping Hawks' Dyson Daniels from winning Defensive Player of the Year

Dyson Daniels is one of a kind. He is putting together a historic stretch of defensive performances right now, and the Defensive Player of the Year hype train has officially begun for the young combo guard.

Daniels leads the league with 88 deflections, 35 more than second-ranked De’Aaron Fox. Atlanta’s rising star is on pace for more than 500 deflections this season, which would shatter the single-season record of 302. He is also averaging a ridiculous 3.7 steals per game, which would tie the all-time record for average steals in a season.

There is just one problem getting in the way of Daniels’ DPOY case: the Hawks still have a subpar team defense.

Dyson Daniels is facing an uphill battle for DPOY due to Atlanta’s team defense

Atlanta is on pace to finish with a bottom-ten defensive rating for the fourth straight season. 14 games into the 2024-25 campaign, the Hawks are allowing the third-most points in the NBA. They give up 120.4 points per night to opposing teams, and they own the No. 22 defensive rating with a 116.0 mark.

As seen throughout NBA history, guards rarely win DPOY. When they do, it takes a truly special season for the guard in question. On an individual level, Daniels is certainly on pace for that kind of special season. His electric two-way play is a big reason why the Hawks have at least evaded the bottom-five defensive rating they held last season.

Even so, Atlanta does not defend well enough as a collective for Daniels to get his ultimate flowers. Three seasons ago, Marcus Smart became the first guard to win DPOY since Gary Payton did in 1996. When Smart won the award as a Boston Celtic, the Celtics boasted the NBA’s top-ranked defense – a far cry from Atlanta’s 22nd-ranked unit.

To the surprise of no one, Daniels owns the best defensive rating on the team. His 111.0 rating is more than three points better than his teammates. The Hawks allow 8.5 fewer points per 100 possessions with Daniels on the floor, per Cleaning the Glass.

14 games into his Hawks career, Daniels has already established himself as Atlanta’s defensive anchor. The 21-year-old Aussie is officially a two-way superstar in the making. 

Dyson Daniels is already a lock for the NBA Hustle Award

While the porous Hawks defense may prevent Daniels from winning DPOY, he should be the obvious frontrunner for the NBA Hustle Award. The Hustle Award accounts for effort plays that don’t show up in the box score, such as deflections, loose ball recoveries, contested shots, charges drawn, and box-outs. 

Last season, Alex Caruso won the award after Smart had captured it the previous two years before that. Caruso led the NBA in nightly deflections with 3.7 per game. This season, Daniels has averaged a mind-boggling 7.3 deflections per game.

Daniels has also contested the fourth-most shots among guards. He has contested 76 total shots, contesting 28 threes and 48 shots inside the arc.

Before Atlanta’s latest loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Daniels had ripped off five straight games with at least four steals. Daniels nabbed 29 total steals in that five-game stretch. Nobody in the NBA has more than 28 steals this season.

Within that stretch, Daniels became just the fourth player in NBA history to record six steals in three straight games. He is also the youngest player ever to accomplish this feat.

Daniels has made a real case for the best defender on the planet this season. He won’t face much competition for the Hustle Award if he maintains or stays close to his current pace, and his epic efforts should also vault him into contention for Most Improved Player. 

In his third NBA season, Daniels is averaging almost 10 more points than he did last year. He has also improved his assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks. His career-high 47.2% shooting from the field will also help his MIP case, and his career-best 1.2 threes made per game won’t hurt either.

If Daniels’ teammates want him to become the second guard to win DPOY this century, they will need to chip in more on the defensive end. Over their last three games, the Hawks have actually owned a top-10 defense. While the sample size is small, Atlanta’s recent improvements on that end could be a sign of things to come.

For those who want Daniels to win a DPOY, a major turnaround for the Hawks defense is their only hope.