At 32-31 on the year, now finally over .500, Hawks fans can start looking forward to a potential playoff appearance.
Nothing's set in stone, of course, but their play as of late has been incredibly promising. With five consecutive victories and a favorable schedule moving forward, it's not ridiculous to think they could make some noise in the postseason.
If that's the case, though, they won't have much room for error. On top of receiving some luck along the way, they'll need steady contibutions from the bulk of their roster. The playoffs bring out the best of the best, and they'll without a doubt need someone to control the opposing teams' most elite offensive players.
Enter Dyson Daniels. Daniels, otherwise known as the Great Barrier Thief, has carved out a deserved reputation as one of the league's top defensive players. Not just for his constant takeaways, but for the wall he becomes as games progress.
Not only does he always set the tone for the night on that end, but he keeps it up all game, forcing opposing players to take contested shots and turn the ball over at a high rate. With the amount of volume most "stars" see in the postseason, there's huge reason to believe Daniels' game will translate seamlessly to that environment.
There's an unkown aspect of his defensive presence that will allow him to take the Hawks far
Versatility. Not in the traditional sense, though. There are very few guards in today's NBA who can switch onto bigs and completely disrupt their rhythm. The number becomes even fewer when those bigs are of superstar caliber.
That's right, Dyson Daniels can guard 1-5 at a ridiculously high level. His switchability on that end separates him from many defensive specialists, as they're typically focused on locking up a single position.
The most recent game where this ability was on full display was Wednesday evening in Milwaukee. After a first half where Atlanta struggled defensively, they elected to begin the second half with Dyson Daniels on Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Giannis is a difficult cover. Once he gets into the paint, he's either going to score or draw a foul. Even in his age-31 season, he's still one of the league's most unstoppable players. Atlanta's mindset here was simple: don't even let Giannis even think of getting near the paint.
It was effective. The Hawks ran away with the win in the second half, capturing the lead with an early run and never looking back. Milwaukee's staff had no answer for Atlanta's key defensive adjustment.
Daniels' defensive versatility will be key to Atlanta's postseason future
For people who follow the NBA closely, this situation resembles one that took place last postseason. Out in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Denver Nuggets in the second round.
Denver had an early advantage in the series, with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic torching OKC's historic defense. As soon as it looked like the future champions were going to be upset in the second-round, they made a critical adjustment, assigning guard Alex Caruso to defend Jokic.
This was what they were missing. Jokic simply wasn't used to being defended by a player with that frame, creating an undeniable advantage for the Thunder. OKC emerged victorious in seven games, something that wouldn't have happened if they didn't get bold.
Now, the Hawks have a chance at a surprise playoff run, and Dyson Daniels will be a huge part of that. If he can keep excelling at defending the opposing team's best player, whether they're a guard or a big, Atlanta will truly be in good shape.