The Atlanta Hawks should take Dyson Daniels if he falls to them

We are back at the point of the year where all 30 NBA teams are looking for the next player out of college, overseas, or from the G League that is going to move their franchise forward. The Atlanta Hawks currently have pick No. 16 in the upcoming NBA draft as their only first-round pick.

This may change leading up to the draft, including on draft night. However, we are looking at the draft as it currently stands which means that the Hawks have one first-round and one second-round selection. They would have had a second pick if the Charlotte Hornets pick had been conveyed but they did not finish high enough in the standings.

The Hawks have been associated with the high-energy wing Tari Eason as well as the talented combo guard TyTy Washington, both out of college. However, the Hawks are looking to contend next season, and getting a player who has played professionally would be more desirable. This is where Dyson Daniels of the G League Ignite becomes an interesting prospect.

Why the Atlanta Hawks should take Dyson Daniels if he is available.

Daniels is a 6’6″ point guard from Australia and this first metric alone is enough to make him an interesting prospect. In a league that is trending towards taller point guards, the Hawks have one of the shortest staters in Trae Young.

Daniels looks to have tremendous potential, particularly on the defensive end where he averaged just under 2.0 steals per game across all G League competitions last season. Thanks to his height and read of the play he averaged just under 1.0 blocks per game as well.

When you see Daniels play you can’t help but be impressed by his effort. He crashes the boards, collecting more than the average point guard thanks to his height. But it is his playmaking that will help the Hawks the most. He is a solid playmaker who can make the right play to help take the pressure off Young.

However, he is a little turnover-prone, part of which can be attributed to playing with a young team for the first time last season. He also struggles to shoot the ball from deep with much consistency. He was a 25.5 percent 3-point shooter in the Showcase Cup games but shot it at a far more respectable 36.8 percent in the G League exhibition games.

Daniels is not going to be the whole answer to the Hawks’ problems. He will, however, give the front office greater flexibility during free agency.