The NBA continues to validate what the Atlanta Hawks already knew about Dyson Daniels. After earning All-Defensive First Team honors and finishing runner-up for Defensive Player of the Year last season, Daniels has now added another major accolade to his résumé with a 2025-26 NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection.
At some point, the debate surrounding whether Daniels is truly an elite defender starts becoming disconnected from reality. The league’s coaches, media members, and opposing teams continue recognizing his impact at the highest level.
Daniels’ defensive production remains among the best in basketball. Last season, in his first year with the Hawks, he led the NBA in steals, averaging 3.0 per game. This season, he once again finished tied for the league lead in steals at 2.0 per contest while continuing to disrupt opposing offenses nightly.
The consistency is what separates Daniels from many other strong perimeter defenders around the league. He is not producing elite defense in flashes. He is doing it every single season.
Daniels has become the Hawks’ defensive identity
Atlanta has spent years searching for a perimeter defender capable of completely changing the energy of the team defensively. Daniels has quickly become exactly that. His instincts, anticipation, lateral quickness, and ability to create turnovers consistently alter games in ways that often do not fully show up in traditional statistics. The Hawks’ defensive intensity noticeably changes when he is on the floor.
What makes Daniels even more impactful is his versatility. He can defend guards, wings, and occasionally larger forwards without becoming a liability. That flexibility allows Atlanta to experiment with multiple defensive schemes and matchups throughout games.
Very few players possess the ability to completely disrupt offensive rhythm the way Daniels does. That level of influence is a major reason the Hawks prioritized securing his future long term.
Hawks guard Dyson Daniels has been named to the All-Defensive second team.
— Brad Rowland (@BTRowland) May 22, 2026
Daniels tied for the league lead in steals per game (2.0) and helped to drive Atlanta to a top-10 overall defense for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
Before the season ended, Atlanta rewarded Daniels with a four-year, $100 million extension. The contract reflected how highly the organization values his impact beyond just the box score. Elite perimeter defenders who consistently create chaos are difficult to find in today’s NBA. Daniels has already proven he can anchor that side of the floor for a playoff-caliber team.
The Mookie Blaylock comparisons are becoming real
For many longtime Hawks fans, Daniels’ defensive presence is beginning to spark comparisons to Mookie Blaylock. That is not a comparison Atlanta supporters throw around lightly.
Blaylock remains one of the greatest defensive guards in franchise history because of his relentless ability to pressure offenses and force mistakes. Daniels is beginning to establish a very similar reputation around the league.
The eye test only strengthens the argument further. Opposing ball handlers consistently look uncomfortable when Daniels is involved in defensive actions. Passing lanes shrink, offensive timing gets disrupted, and mistakes begin to pile up quickly. His impact extends far beyond steals alone. Daniels changes the pace and rhythm of games simply through his defensive presence.
Ultimately, the continued skepticism surrounding Daniels as an elite defender feels increasingly difficult to understand. The awards are there. The production is there. The film is there. Most importantly, the impact on winning continues to grow each season.
The Hawks have not had a defender this disruptive since the Mookie Blaylock era, and the rest of the league is finally beginning to fully recognize it.
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